


just shut up and drive

by meathermac



Category: Dimension 20 (Web Series), Fantasy High
Genre: Ace/Aro Adaine, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Asexual Character, Asexual Zelda Donovan, Canon is for LOSERS, Coming Out, Coming of Age, Established Relationship, F/F, F/M, Gen, Healthy Polyamory, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Multi, Mutual Pining, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Alternating, Polyamory, S1 compliant, fully ignores everything that has happened so far in s2, mainly gen but also a lot of fabriz, road trip babey
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-04
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:28:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 21,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22108633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meathermac/pseuds/meathermac
Summary: some other poor shmucks get chosen to find the crown of the nightmare king, and the bad kids have spring break all to themselves. deciding to take advantage of the borders being opened, gorgug buys a van from his parents and all six of them (plus some others) pile into the van for a spring break road trip.it goes… about as well as expected.
Relationships: Ayda Aguefort/Figueroth Faeth, Kristen Applebees/Tracker, Ragh Barkrock/Zelda Donovan/Gorgug Thistlespring, Riz Gukgak/Fabian Aramais Seacaster
Comments: 85
Kudos: 322





	1. in which they set off (and everything changes)

**Author's Note:**

> i'm not the most recent fic in the fandom and that's illegal so 
> 
> this is definitely going to be a multichapter fic spanning most of season two, and basically all that changed is that arthur aguefort chose some other adventuring party to find the crown of the nightmare king and so... the bad kids decide to find something new to do.

It’s moving day at the Faeth-O’Shaugnessy house, and Arthur Aguefort never shows up. There is no sixty-percent grade, no strange promises of creatures, and the worst thing that happens is, in fact, Riz getting trapped in Fig’s bubble-room for an hour before Gorgug notices and nearly smashes the piano trying to get him out. By late afternoon, Fabian is attempting to teach Adaine and Fig to swordfight, Kristen and Tracker have snuck off long ago, and Riz and Gorgug are gossiping in the shade of a half-dead tree nearby the sword-fighting. It’s only when Fig accidentally stabs the wall of the house and Sandra Lynn walks in on Kristen and Tracker that Fig’s mother storms out into the lawn dragging them by the arms and yells, “Alright, I love you kiddos but my  _ god _ , you cannot do this all break!” 

Fig tries unsuccessfully to pull her sword out of the wall and grins sheepishly at her mom. “Well, we don’t have anything else to do.” 

Sandra Lynn pinches the bridge of her nose and says, “You six are the nerdiest bunch of teenagers I’ve ever met. Not you, Tracker honey. Go on a vacation or something. I’ll even give you money to  _ leave. _ ” 

“Mom, that’s mean,” Fig teases, and Adaine finally comes over to help her pull the sword out of the wall. “Plus, I mean, we don’t have a car, and as fun as it would be to all try and ride the Hangman--” 

“Absolutely the  _ fuck _ not,” Fabian calls and Riz and Gorgug collapse into giggles. “No.  _ No.  _ The Hangman is  _ mine _ .” 

Fig laughs and continues on. “As fun as it would be to try and ride the Hangman together, we don’t really have a mode of transportation to get anywhere.” 

Gorgug raises his hand and Riz slowly lowers it back down. Gorgug frowns and speaks up anyway, saying “I have a van. Well, I don’t have a van, but my parents have a van. I could probably get the van.” 

Adaine glances up from where she’s casting Ray of Frost on the sword to attempt to get it unstuck and asks, “You’re not seriously considering going on some sort of road trip, are you?” 

“A road trip!” Kristen cries, her face lighting up. “That would be so much fun!” 

“Well, it looks like we’re all settled here,” Sandra Lynn says, finally letting go of Kristen’s arm (she’d let Tracker leave minutes ago). “You six need a road trip.” 

“Seven!” Tracker jumps in, laughing. “There’s no way you’re gettin’ rid of me that easily.” 

Adaine still looks skeptical, and she seems like she’s about to object when Fig grabs her by the shoulders and shakes her vigorously. “Adaine. Look at me. I know you hate doing fun things--” 

“I do  _ not. _ ” 

“--but this will be so good for us! We can take Gorgug’s parents van and go to like, Bastian City and you guys can watch me perform and stuff!” 

“I think it’ll be fun,” Riz says quietly, the first time he’s spoken up all evening. “We should go.” 

Fig finally gets the sword out of the wall and holds it above her head triumphantly, whooping. “Road trip, baby!” she shouts, and the rest of the Bad Kids cheer with her. 

(Sandra Lynn has a headache for the rest of the day, and Jawbone decides that there will be no more sword-fighting or sleeping underneath pianos at the Manor.)

Reluctantly, Fig sleeps in the living room that night since her piano priveledges have been revoked, while Riz, Gorgug, and Fabian head out to make it back home before they gather again tomorrow for the start of the road trip. Despite the Hangman’s many protests, Fabian offers Riz a ride home and he accepts, grateful he wouldn’t have to try and walk to the office. 

Riz gives Fabian directions to his office, and as he pulls up in front of the building Fabian looks at Riz strangely. “You’re not going home?’ he asks, and Riz shakes his head. 

“Nah. My mom’s working all night, and I just…” He shrugs. “I dunno. It’s fine.” 

“Alright…” Fabian says slowly, then waves goodbye to Riz as he gets off the bike. “Don’t be getting kidnapped, okay?” 

Riz laughs and waves. “Yeah. I promise.”

_ Sire,  _ the Hangman begins as Fabian speeds off,  _ Why would you allow the goblin to ride on me? _

“Hangman, he needed a ride home. Don’t give me that thing about only  _ girls _ riding with me--” 

_ Sire, I have no issue with the goblin riding with me if he is what you desire. _

“Thank you, Hangman,” Fabian mumbles, shaking his head. 

It’s only as he pulls into the garage that he finally realizes what the Hangman meant, but by that time his motorcycle has moved on to one of their favorite topics, Gilear-bashing. Normally, Fabian would be thrilled to make fun of Gilear, but he’s got to ask his mother if he can go on a road trip, and then he has to pack. His mother is dead asleep in her room, so he assumes that’s a yes and goes to pack for the road trip. 

Gorgug, on the other hand, is readying himself to buy a van from his parents. As it turns out, he doesn’t even have to ask because when he mentions the words “road trip”, Digby and Wilma immediately offer up the van for him to use. He messages Fig to let her know that they’ve got themselves a van, and the next morning everyone drags themselves out of bed to go on a road trip. 

*

Riz wakes up the next morning to his mom slamming a cup of coffee down on his desk. “Wake up, sweetheart. Fig’s been texting me for ten minutes trying to make sure you weren’t kidnapped. She’s very worried about you missing your road trip.” 

He lifts his head up, blinking sleepily. “Mprh?” 

“Riz, honey,” Sklonda says, laughing, “Come on, get up. Check your phone, I’m sure you’ve got seven thousand missed calls from  _ Fabian _ .”

Riz bristles at the singsongy way she says his name. “Mom.” 

“Yeah, sweetie?” 

“Why’re you talking like that?’” he asks as he fumbles around on the ground for his Briefcase of Holding. 

Sklonda laughs again and pats her son on the back. “C’mon, Riz. I’m sure there’s mysteries to solve somewhere out there. Besides, I got a call from Sandra Lynn and she already checked with me to make sure I could give you up for the whole spring break.”

“I don’ wanna go,” Riz lies, finally finding his briefcase. “I was lyin’.”

“No, you weren’t. I already packed your bags,” she says, setting down a suitcase next to him. “For my sake, Riz. If you’re gonna not sleep, I’d rather you not sleep with your friends nearby to yell at you.”

Riz groans and grabs his suitcase. “I love you, Mom, but also I hate you.” 

“I’ll take it. Come on, I’ll drive you. I want to hear about Fig stabbing the wall with Fabian’s sword.” 

When Sklonda drops him off at the Manor, everyone is already waiting outside and the first thing Riz notices is that Gorgug is comfortingly patting Fabian’s shoulder. When he hugs his mom goodbye, Fig elbows him and points to Riz, and Fabian relaxes visibly. The second thing he notices is that Ragh and Zelda have joined them and that Ragh is waving at Riz while Zelda smiles shyly.  _ Great,  _ Riz grouses in his head,  _ we’re breaking out the significant others too.  _

It’s not that he doesn’t like Ragh and Zelda and Tracker, they’re all perfectly sweet and at the very least he can say that Ragh, Gorgug, and Zelda are respectful of everyone else’s desire to not watch them make out on the couch. 

“Sorry I’m late,” he apologizes sheepishly, “I fell asleep and my mom had to come to wake me up. But I’m here!” 

Fabian clocks him on the shoulder as he approaches. “You didn’t pick up, you complete  _ asshole! _ You always pick up.”

Riz rubs his arm and glares at Fabian. “I do  _ not _ always pick up.” 

“You do!” he accuses, and Riz laughs despite himself. “Don’t laugh at me, the Ball, you pick up on the first ring whenever I call you.” 

“I so do not,” he replies, and whatever strange tension has come between him and Fabian eases immediately. 

Fig points at Riz and all of a sudden the message cantrip flashes in front of his face, reading  _ Yo, will you quit flirting with Fabian and put your suitcase in the van? _ and Riz blushes, causing Fig to nearly start crying with laughter. 

“Alright, everyone in the van!” Gorgug calls. “We’ve got nine people and nine places to sleep, so we’re all set!” 

“Bastian City, here come the Bad Kids!” Fig whoops, before belatedly tacking on, “And also Ragh, Tracker, and Zelda!” 

Fabian cheers and scoops Riz up onto his shoulders. “Here we go, guys! Spyre better be ready for us!”

_ Damn right it better be, _ Riz thinks.


	2. in which they sit in a van (and riz learns to drive)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the hangman gains a new driver. adaine meets a friend. fig bonds with zelda.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> djfkshskdhdkdj you're all so nice to me i love hearing your feedback you're so kind!!! it's so nice to hear from y'all
> 
> anyways i hope you like it!!! 
> 
> warning for mentions of recreational drug/alcohol use

There are nine places to sleep in the magical van Gorgug’s parents have sold to him, which means that all nine of them could have their own space to sleep. They decide to stop by Basrar’s to get some ice cream, and before they leave Adaine suggests they claim beds. 

“Tracker and I call the trunk!” Kristen shouts immediately, and Gorgug has to remind her that there is not a trunk, and unless they want to fight the Hangman over the rack on the back of the van, they need to choose somewhere in the van. 

“And yes, that means you can’t have sex while we’re in the van,” Fabian adds, and Tracker just laughs. 

Kristen looks confused. “Why not?"

Tracker is nearly shaking with laughter at that and Fabian shoots Kristen a furious glare. “If I have to explain that for real, you’re sleeping in the rack and the Hangman can stay in the van.” 

“Can we have sex in the rack?” she asks, which causes Tracker to nearly start convulsing on the floor from laughter, and at this point, Fig looks like she’s about to join her. 

Before Fabian and Kristen can start having an actual debate on the physical possibilities of fucking in the rack, Riz pulls Fabian away and while Tracker is able to quickly regain the ability to speak afterward, Fig is still losing it on the asphalt of the parking lot from when Fabian yelled “I will prove that it’s fucking impossible, Kristen! I could probably even try with the Ball and it would still be impossible!” and Riz turned the color of a tomato. Discussions of actually putting people in the rack are tabled and Kristen and Tracker head into the van to claim a spot, leaving everyone else outside. 

Fabian is chatting with the Hangman when he notices Riz standing awkwardly off to the side and calls, “Hey, Riz, come over here!” 

If the Hangman could roll its eyes, it would as Riz blushes and walks over and Fabian says nothing. He grins at Riz, gestures to the Hangman and asks, “You wanna go for a ride before we head out?” 

Riz looks confused. “You aren’t driving it to Bastian City?”

“I was going to, but Fig gave me a lecture on team bonding and she threatened to paint the Hangman purple if I tried to ride it on the trip.” He blanches at Fig’s name, and Fabian looks at him curiously before deciding to ignore it. “So since I rather enjoy the current color of the Hangman, it will be riding in the rack on Gorgug’s van, and I will have to pick a sleeping spot like everyone else.” 

“You should sleep next to me,” Riz blurts out and Fabian doesn’t even have a chance to think about it before Riz blushes furiously yet again and backtracks. “That was so weird, jeez. I’m so sorry, you can just ignore me--”

Fabian just laughs and puts an arm around his best friend. "Of course I will sleep next to you! You barely sleep anyways, it'll be fun."

Riz relaxes and hugs Fabian back. "Sounds good. Now, were you serious about letting me ride on that death trap?" 

"I'll even teach you to drive," he offers. 

_Sire, I require no actual driving._

"Hangman, shush," Fabian mumbles under his breath. 

_If you get hard while you're riding me, sire--_

Fabian clears his throat loudly, interrupting the Hangman's sentence. "Alright, Riz, you don't really need to drive the Hangman, per sé, but it needs to be told where to go." He gestured to the leather seat. "I'll ride on the back, but that means I have to put my arms around you. Are you okay with that?" 

Riz nods and clambers on the Hangman clumsily, and Fabian jumps on afterward, ignoring the Hangman's incessant teasing. He puts his hands around Riz's chest and it feels _right_. He lets Riz take the Hangman around the parking lot a few times before Gorgug calls them over to choose rooms and Fabian is sick to death of his motorcycle’s strange comments. Riz is bright red but he’s smiling big (and his Insight isn’t high, but it looks real) and they chat for a bit longer as Fabian puts the Hangman away and they finally join the others in the van. 

“I saved you two a couple sleeping spots,” Fig says with a wink. Fabian just rolls his eyes. “Woulda just got you one, but Gorgug said I oughta just give ya two since Kristen and Tracker are sharing one.”

Riz makes a strangled noise. “Why would it matter, Fig?” 

“Well--” 

“It was rhetorical,” he snaps and storms off, and Fig just looks at Adaine helplessly. Adaine shakes her head and points to Riz, clearly trying to communicate something to Fig with her eyes that makes no sense whatsoever to anyone else in the van. Fig groans and follows Riz into his little corner (Tracker has a spell called Moon Haven they’re planning on using to expand things into bedrooms and stuff at night, but it’s impossible to drive with it up so for now, it’s just a corner) and Adaine just sighs.

*

It’s later that day, and Adaine has made herself a little blanket nest in the passenger seat and is casting the second half of a Familiar spell she'd began the night before. They've been on the road for a couple hours or so, and whatever fight Fig and Riz had been having had dissipated and they were now playing cards on the floor of the van with Kristen (and thank Yes?, because Adaine only had a vague idea of what Fig and Riz were fighting about and she doesn't think it's right.) Ragh and Fabian are having a loud conversation about Bloodrush and Zelda’s listening to music with Tracker. 

She closes her eyes and circles her hands around a couple times, feeling a cool, misty wind ball up between her hands as Gorgug says, “Holy crap, Adaine, did you just make a frog?”

Adaine looks up and sees that she did, in fact, create an extremely spherical frog. He looks at her and croaks, and any anxiety left over from the day immediately melts when she beholds this amazing frog. 

Gorgug looks at the frog and smiles. "He's good. Good frog." 

She holds him up and squeezes a bit, and he expands slightly. "I think I'll call him Bogariel Frogariel." 

"Bogariel?!" Fabian exclaims. "You're horrid at naming things, Adaine." 

She rolls her eyes and continues to inspect her frog as Riz says, "You're one to talk, _Fabian Aramais Seacaster_." The singsongy way he pronounces Fabian's name gets all of them laughing, and Adaine doesn't even have to take her eyes off Bogariel to know that Fabian is blushing.

"I'll call him Boggy for short," she declares. 

Kristen trips over to herself as she runs to the front of the van to pronounce Boggy 'the best and roundest frog ever' and that sends them all into a fit of giggles again. Gorgug mumbles something about distracting the driver, but even he's too enamored by Boggy to really care. 

Adaine curls up in her blanket nest with Boggy (who she conjures up a smaller blanker for) and hums some Elven lullaby to her new frog friend while Ragh and Fabian go back to arguing about some Bloodrush play and Fig yells at Kristen for messing up their card game. 

About an hour later when they stop for lunch, Fig decides that they need to give Gorgug a break from driving and suggests a quick game of Never Have I Ever (“to fully integrate these dicks into the group”, she claims). Adaine steels herself for an interesting game, but Fig manages to come out of the gates with, “Never have I ever kissed someone of the same gender,” and the game immediately devolves into a yelling match over whether or not Kristen’s kiss counted. Adaine makes eye contact with Riz, who seems relieved that everyone is so focused on Fig for a few seconds that they don’t notice him putting his finger down. After it’s determined that it doesn’t count, Ragh makes a show of kissing Gorgug as he puts his finger down and the rest of the group just about loses their shit after that. 

After a few (extremely targeted) rounds--seriously, you can’t apply “never have I ever died in my first ever battle, gone to heaven, and met a god” to anybody except Kristen--Adaine pronounces herself the loser and unsurprisingly crowns Kris, Tracker, and Ragh a three-way tied win. She really needs to get out more. 

Fig groans. “Adaine, had you even done any of the stuff we’d said?” 

She blinks, furrowing her brows defensively. “I mean, I’ve… I drank some alcohol once! At Fabian’s birthday party!” 

“Yeah, the same one that Kristen got high out of her mind at?” Tracker says, and Kristen whacks her girlfriend on the shoulder. Adaine curls inward, feeling a bit self-conscious, and Riz catches her eye and shrugs. 

“I only didn’t lose because they didn’t know I’ve kissed guys, _”_ he mumbles in Ghukliak and Adaine rushes to cast Comprehend Languages. When the spell finally casts, he repeats it again and she just laughs and nods. 

“Did you know?” he asks, again in Ghukliak. “That I was gay?” 

She shakes her head. “It’s okay though,” Adaine says and Fig shoots her a confused look. Riz just seems grateful.

*

Fig is feeling confused an awful lot today, which is frustrating because she likes being the one making people confused. She had at least discovered why Riz was so pissed with her--apparently was because she pushed a little too hard makıng fun of his crush on Fabian--but she was resigned to guessing as to why Zelda was looking at her like that.

Fig had no issue with Zelda; she was perfectly sweet, a little shy, but she had excellent taste in music.

So why was Zelda still _staring_ at her?

Fig narrows her eyes at Zelda, and she blinks a couple times and looks away quickly. Her suspicions only rise as Zelda continues to avoid her all of the rest of the day. 

When they stop for a dinner break, Fig corners Zelda as she's leaving the van. "Why don't you like me?" she asks, and Zelda just frowns.

“I like you,” she protests. “You’re cool.” 

Fig glares at Zelda in complete disbelief. “You keep _looking_ at me weird.” She folds her hands across her chest and looks down at the satyr girl. “Why would you do that if you didn’t like me?” 

Zelda starts laughing. “Oh jeez, you saw that? I’m sorry!” 

“Wh--what?” Fig says, dropping her hands to her sides as Zelda continues to laugh. “What the--what do you mean?” 

She stops laughing and stares at her feet awkwardly. “Sorry, I’m just… I was trying to figure something out for your guys’ tour poster. I’ve been trying to--I’m so sorry, Fig, I didn’t realize I was making you uncomfortable.” 

Fig bites the inside of her lip. “Yeah, no, it’s my fault. I thought you were like, making eyes at me, and that was weird, but like--” 

“Yeah, no,” she interrupts, “I wouldn’t do that. Promise. Gorgug is one of the best things about this school for me.” 

She nods, and the two of them are just awkwardly standing at the edge of the van as everyone else heads inside. “So…” Fig starts, unsure of what to say. “What were you thinking for the tour poster?” 

Zelda’s eyes light up and she seems noticeably less awkward than she has been around Fig. “I was thinking something kinda like that old human band poster, the MCR one?” 

“The human band?” Fig grins. “I love that style! Are you designing our, like, logos and stuff?”

She nods shyly. “I’ve been doing them for a while. I showed my boyfriend them originally, and I just… we’re not exactly friends, yknow, so I just kept doing it. I thought Gorgug told you, like, but you’re so fuckin’ good at singing and stuff, you’re just too cool for me.” 

“Zelda, you’re dating the drummer of a semi-famous rock band, I’m only kind of too cool for you,” Fig jokes, and Zelda giggles. Said drummer looks up to see Fig and Zelda chatting and only has a moment to look confused before he’s dragged off by Adaine and Kristen (“to revel in the frog,” they claim, but both of them know that it’s important that Fig and Zelda are friends. 

Well, they thought it was important until the two of them finally show up to eat with the rest of the group and do not shut up about old rock and punk bands for the entirety of their dinner break. Tracker and Gorgug are all too happy to join in, and Kristen and Ragh have their little “our partners like rock and it’s not really our thing and that’s cool” club, but the rest of them (namely Adaine, Riz, and Fabian) are sidelined to glances across the table and eye-rolls at every time Kris loses an arm-wrestling match to Ragh. 

_(Seriously,_ Fig thinks as she notices that Kristen is still trying to beat him, _why is she still on this?_ )

It’s good that Zelda wasn’t mad at her, really, because she likes Zelda and she wants the band to work out, and also because Zelda is actually so fuckin’ dope and Fig is starting to think that she’d like to trade Gorgug out for Zelda. But oh well, sometimes you have to settle for the best friend instead of the best friend’s girlfriend and you just have to live with that. 

They're finally on the home stretch to Bastian City, and it's getting dark, so Gorgug declares about a couple hours after dinner as the sky goes dark that they're stopping to sleep. Tracker casts her Moon Haven spell and they divide up into their bedrooms. Tracker and Kristen go together, and everyone else takes their own room. 

Fig stays out in the common area for a little bit, humming to herself, and just letting the night wash over her. It's nice to be alone for a bit. 

(And if she sees Riz sneak into Fabian's room 'round 2 AM, she sure as hell saves that for the morning.) 


	3. in which they reach bastian city (and it's not even that cool)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> adaine tries to learn to swordfight. riz solves a mystery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wooooo this is a long boi. i didn't mean to make it so long but i wanted it to end on a cliffhanger, so... beware, i guess :D
> 
> hope you enjoy!!!!!

They reach Bastian City early the next morning, and Fig seems extremely upset that Riz is still asleep because she needs to make fun of him for something and it’s “not worth it if he’s not there!”. Adaine, desperate to avoid that situation, offers to go find their hotel and is thankfully walking out of the van right as Riz wakes up. 

The hotel concierge is kind, but they look at Adaine as if she’s a little kid without her mother and they have to check several times to believe that she’s not a child, and she’s just checking into a hotel. 

The concierge is a gorgeous water genasi--Adaine thinks privately that he’s just Riz’s type--and he looks at Adaine and sighs. “Well? I don’t suppose it’s just you and your female friend and you’re going to try and ask me in some very sly way to make sure there’s just one bed?” 

She stammers and blushes, even though not as if she’s got a girlfriend (or even wants one, she thinks) but the genasi seems to already be bored of his previous kind act and is ready to kick Adaine out. “Er, no,” she says, “I think we have four rooms. Two with one bed and two with two beds.” 

He checks. “Three with one bed and one with two?” 

Adaine does some mental math quickly and figures that she can just make someone share a bed or sleep on the floor since she  _ really  _ doesn’t want to annoy the concierge even more. “Y--yeah. That’s fine.” 

When she returns to the van, everyone else is outside playing cards while Fig is sitting in a corner with a sign magicked onto her reading “This Is My Timeout Corner”. Adaine doesn’t even have to cast Detect Magic to know that it’s Kristen’s doing, which probably means that Fig has managed to really piss off someone. 

She raises an eyebrow. “What happened?” 

“Fig’s not allowed to talk right now!” Kristen hollers from outside. “I’ll explain later. We’re good to go to the hotel?” 

“Yeah!” Adaine yells back, and there are a couple of scattered cheers from the more enthusiastic members of the group. “Three one-bedrooms and one double. They--” she pauses, then remembers that  _ she  _ screwed up the rooms--“There was a miscommunication and I was too anxious to correct the concierge. I can sleep on the floor with Fig, it’s alright with me.” 

Kristen shrugs. “I don’t think any of us care. We’ve all slept in weird places together.” 

Adaine goes to respond when the Message cantrip flashes in front of her face (courtesy of Fig, apparently).  _ You can totally sleep in bed with me, cause you know I don’t care, but you should try and get Fabian and Riz to take the single, winky face. _

She tries to stifle a laugh, but fails and starts giggling. "Kris, Fig's using Message!" she tattles, and Fig's mortally offended face causes her to nearly double over with laughter. "But for the record, she did say that we ought to paper-rock-scissors it between Fabian and Riz and Fig and I over the double room." 

Adaine pointedly ignores Fig's appreciative nod as Ragh yells rather loudly, "Miss me with that high elf bull _ shit,  _ Abernant, it's rock-paper-scissors--" 

"Is not--" 

“Is too!” 

“Is not!” Fabian chimes in. “And I’m only  _ half- _ elf, so  _ there _ !” 

She gestures wildly to Fabian. “Thank you! Anyways, since Fabian is the only one here with any  _ sense _ , I’ll paper-rock-scissors him for the double room.” 

Ragh groans and buries his face in Gorgug’s shoulder, mumbling something about “fuckin’ high elves and their fuckin’ bullshit”. Gorgug pats his head comfortingly and Zelda whispers something to him that makes both boys laugh. Adaine chooses to ignore their cute domestic crap and points to Fabian. “Alright, pirate boy, duel me.” 

He snorts. “This isn’t a  _ duel _ , Adaine. I promise I would defeat you if we were actually sword-fighting.” 

“Try me, Fabian.”

"Oh, Adaine, you poor misguided child," Fabian responds in a mockingly pitying voice. “My sweet, darling elf friend--” 

“Do  _ not _ flirt with me,” she responds vehemently, “I am not my sister, you cannot just call me hot and then kiss me.”

He sputters and backtracks quickly, and Adaine takes some sort of twisted pride in seeing him so flustered. “I wasn’t flirting with you,” he says, frustrated. “You’re not my type.” 

Adaine raises one eyebrow. "I'm sorry? I'm everyone's type, you  _ bitch _ ." 

"That's it!" Fabian jumps up and grabs the Sword of Seacaster. "Adaine, I'm going to teach you to sword-fight and then I'm going to kick your ass." 

"I'd like to see you try--" 

"Oh, I fucking  _ would _ \--"

"Enough!" Kristen yells, and both fall silent. "We need to go to the hotel. We have dinner reservations tonight and I, for one, would like to take a shower." 

“We have dinner reservations?” Gorgug mumbles. 

*

Riz is so sick of his friends. 

He’s been walking for about ten minutes now along the border of Bastian City, and the eerie quiet is giving him a chance to think. The van has been so loud lately, and Riz feels like he can’t even hear his own thoughts when he’s with his friends.

Honestly, they’re fantastic, and he should be grateful he even has friends at all (let alone ones like the rest of the Bad Kids) but Fig needs to just  _ shut up _ sometimes. 

_ I’m gay _ , he thinks,  _ I’m so gay and I wish I’d never told Fig because she won’t stop talking about it and she knows she knows she knows, she knows I’m gay and I like Fabian, she knows I have a crush on a straight guy and he doesn’t like me back, she knows I’m-- _

Thankfully, any mind-readers walking by are spared the rest of Riz’s thoughts by him running directly into the wall of a nearby hotel. He stumbles backward and rubs his head a bit before looking up and noticing the name of the hotel, the Hotel Cavalier. 

Riz blinks a couple times and glances around, finally realizing why it’s been so quiet--there’s no one here but him, and the light of the neon sign advertising the Hotel Cavalier seems so much more sinister now. He shudders and goes to turn around before freezing in place. 

He doesn’t need to be back at the hotel until seven for dinner, and he could always call his friends and let them know he was gonna meet them later… 

Besides, Fabian was showering when he left and Riz wasn’t entirely sure how he’d handle the thought of Fabian--

_ Okay,  _ he thinks, cutting his own internal monologue short,  _ we’re not going to get into that now.  _

The Hotel Cavalier is completely pitch-dark as far as Riz can tell, but the door’s open and it doesn’t seem like there’s anyone in the lobby, so he just walks inside. 

He’s an adventurer! Questionable decisions of varying legalities come with the territory! 

There’s a concierge desk completely empty of staff with a massive book sitting on top, and a number of couches spread out around the massive lobby. Riz realizes his earlier assessment is incorrect--it’s not pitch-black. A soft red light illuminates the lobby very slightly, the color the kind of red that makes Riz want to reach for his gun and shoot at the next thing that moves. 

The light is spilling out from the open elevator shaft--an  _ open elevator shaft _ , for Yes?’s sake, could this place be any more obviously evil--and every mystery-loving part of Riz is saying “it’s extremely important that you go look at that”. 

Hand on his gun, he makes his way over towards the elevator shaft and is about to look down into the open space when he feels his crystal start to vibrate against his hip. He rolls his eyes and pulls it out, backing away from the elevator. 

The screen is lit up with a call from Fabian and Riz mentally curses himself as he remembers that he forgot to tell Fabian that he was leaving. He declines the call--no sense in revealing himself to whatever’s here just to pick up the call--and sends him a text reading  _ out in bastian city sorry i forgot to tell u. ill be back by seven cya. _

He pockets his phone again and looks back down at the red light. It feels scarier now, the open space in front of Riz, and he bites the inside of his lip as he looks down. 

It doesn’t seem worth it anymore. 

Riz backs up and goes over to the concierge desk, praying that the light coming from below is just an old power source or something and begins to flip through the book. It’s not particularly interesting, just some guest names which sound vaguely sinister and also a bit made up, and his mind begins to wander back to the call from Fabian. 

He shouldn’t be thinking about Fabian. Every time Riz even  _ looks  _ at him nowadays he almost panics, ever since Fig cornered him the day they left and asked him (very bluntly) if he was gay for Fabian. It was like whiplash, going from being confused by his mom’s reaction when Fabian called and why it felt so weird when he showed up late. The light was off, and then it was on.  _ I’m gay and I have a crush on Fabian Aramais Seacaster, the straightest guy to have ever lived.  _

Fig hasn’t let up about it since the first day, hence the time-out she was given today and the fight they’d had yesterday, and while Riz is grateful she’s not weird about it (he’d take overenthusiastic over judgemental every day) he needs her to stop before he panics in front of everyone. 

His thoughts come to a screeching halt when he hears the elevator begin to creak behind him, and Riz barely has enough time to take a picture of the page he’s reading and run out before anything can see him. 

Breathing hard, he leans against the wall of the hotel and sighs. His crystal starts to vibrate again and he doesn’t even have to look at it to know it’s Fabian. This time, he picks up and says, “Hello?” 

“I thought you were fucking dead!” 

Riz winces. “Nice to hear from you too, Fabian.” 

“That text was so cryptic! That’s not an explanation in the slightest!” he exclaims, and Riz can just  _ tell _ he’s running his fingers through his hair in exasperation. “You could have been kidnapped.” 

Before his brain can take that sentiment and turn it into a train of  _ he cares he cares he cares _ , Riz just laughs and replies, “I wasn’t! I can take care of myself.” 

“I’m sure you can, the Ball--” Riz’s heart sinks at the nickname-- “but you do stupid things all the time. Next time, just inform me before you do the stupid thing, okay?” 

“Alright.” 

Fabian hangs up and Riz puts his phone away, and all of a sudden the clues all fall into place. 

This isn’t a crush. He’s in love with him. He’s in  _ love _ with  _ Fabian _ .

_ Fuck. _

*

Adaine studies Fabian as she lays on her bed, watching him as he paces the room. Fig is pretending to ignore him as she messes with something on her crystal, but even from the other bed Adaine can tell she’s just as invested in this as her. 

“He’s fine, Fabian. I trust Riz.” Adaine rolls over to the side of her bed to retrieve Boggy from his terrarium on the nightstand. “He’ll make it back okay.” 

“He shouldn’t have just left without telling me!” he says, frustrated. “The Ball never does anything without telling me.” 

She sighs. “That can’t  _ possibly _ be true.” 

“It is. He’s consistent.” Fabian begins to tick things off on his fingers as he paces. “He always picks up when I call him, he always falls asleep at 4 or 5 am when he’s too tired to keep working, and he always tells me when he’s going to do stupid things!” 

“Interesting,” Fig remarks from her bed without looking up. “Why’s that?” 

“Because he’s my best friend!” 

"We’re all your best friends!” she protests, and Adaine mouths “shut up” to her, but Fig’s already barreling on. “If I left without telling you, you wouldn’t call me and flip out!” 

“Fig, no--” Adaine says, though she knows it’s fruitless--stopping Fig from talking is like trying to get it to stop raining. 

“The only person I’ve ever seen you talk about like this is Riz, and it happens all the time! Don’t you  _ notice _ how Riz blushes every time--” 

“Okay!” she yells over top of Fig, trying to get Fabian’s attention. “How about you teach me to swordfight like you promised earlier? We never did get a chance to, between Fig stabbing the wall the first time and needing to check in today.”

He seems desperate to avoid what Fig’s going to say, so he readily accepts. “No wall-stabbing. Seriously.” 

Adaine grins and stands up, handing Boggy off to Fig. “I like to think I have more control than Fig.” 

“Hey!” 

Fabian laughs and hands Adaine his rapier, still sheathed. She narrows her eyes at it and looks back up at him, confused. “Are you sure that I should just… have the sword right away?” 

He shrugs. “No way to learn if you’re not holding a sword.” 

“Um…” She looks at it again and bites her lip. “So I just take it out?” 

“I’ve got Kristen on speed-dial,” Fig says from her place on the bed, where she’s playing with Boggy, all annoyance forgotten. 

Adaine rolls her eyes and unsheathes the sword. It’s heavier than she was expecting, and she nearly drops it, but Fabian rushes over to help her grip it. “Keep your dominant hand right here below the cross-guard,” he says, taking her hand and moving it, “‘cause it’s a rapier, so this part protects the hand you’re using…” Fabian trails off, noticing the borderline disgusted look on Adaine’s face. “What? What’s wrong?” 

She blinks a couple times and sighs. “I’m being stupid.” 

“I assure you, whatever it is, it’s not stupid. If it bothers you, it bothers you,” he says. 

“It just…” Adaine sighs. “The way you’re talking to me right now. It reminds me of the way--well, it just makes me think about my sister. It feels like the kind of things you would say to her. It’s stupid, I know, but--” 

“It’s not stupid,” Fabian interrupts. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize that had bothered you so much.” 

She waves him off with her free hand. “It doesn’t, really. I know--well, I don’t think you like me like you in the same way you like that horrid creature they call my sister.” Adaine furrows her eyebrows and looks at Fabian. “You don’t, right?” 

He laughs and shakes his head. “No, no, I don’t. Honestly, I don’t even know how much I like Aelwyn any more.” 

“Is it because you like someone else?!” Fig yells from the bed. 

“Fig, shut  _ up _ ,” Adaine mumbles, but it’s too late and Fabian’s already bright red. “So, Fabian, about the sword--” 

“I don’t like anyone else,” he says with such false bravado that Adaine cringes internally. “I’m just not sure about romance right now.” 

Fig nods and leans back against the headboard. “Interesting.”

“Oh-kay,” Adaine says, desperately trying to steer the conversation away from anything that could lead to Fig saying something she shouldn’t, “so, how do I keep this balanced?” 

Fabian completely ignores her attempts to distract him and responds with, “Why is that interesting? It’s the truth.” 

“Because you seem like you have a crush on someone,” she says casually, giving Boggy a small squeeze. “It’s kinda obvious.” 

“ _ Fig. _ ”

“I do not!” he all but yells, going even redder. “I don’t have a crush on anyone because I think I might be bisexual or  _ something _ and I’m not dealing with it well, okay?! Could you stop harassing me for  _ ten seconds _ so that I can have a moment to think about my own damn feelings without you butting in every half-hour to tease me?” 

She blanches. “Wait, I’m sorry--” 

“Give it a fucking rest, Fig. I’m sick of it.” Fabian grabs the sword out of Adaine’s hands and storms out of the room, leaving the two girls in stunned silence. 

Adaine shakes her head slowly. “Now you’ve done it.”

Fig scoops up Boggy and hugs him tight. “I didn’t think it would be--” 

“You didn’t  _ think _ , Fig, end of sentence,” she says icily. “You need to stop pushing people’s buttons just to get a response, okay? It’s not cool.” 

“I--I know. I’m sorry.” 

“I’m not the one you owe an apology to. You need to go talk to him.” 

Fig nods, shutting her eyes tight. “I will. I feel really bad, Adaine.” 

“I know.” She sighs. “I know.” 

It’s only a few moments later that Kristen pokes her head into their room, glancing around with a concerned look on her face. “Y’all seen Fabian anywhere?” 

“He’s not in his room?” Adaine asks, a wave of dread washing over her. 

“Nah, can’t find him anywhere. I was hopin’ he was in here, but…” She gestures around the room. “Nada.” 

Fig pales at the same time Adaine goes, “ _ Fuck _ .” 


	4. in which they still don't go to dinner (and things get tense)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> fabian and riz discuss. kristen makes a discovery. gorgug gets some information.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you spot the super obvious naddpod reference i'll post my full essay on why gilear is the nightmare king. hope you enjoy!!!!

Fabian is storming out of the lobby in frustration as Riz walks back in. He means to keep walking, he really does, because he doesn't need someone else making fun of him, but when he hears Riz call his name Fabian freezes in place. 

"Hey, the Ball," he says with a pained smile. "Glad you could finally make it back." 

"What's going on? Did something happen?" Riz asks frantically because of  _ course, _ Fabian can't fool him with a simple smile, Riz knows his mannerisms inside and out--he could probably impersonate Fabian and no one would be able to tell the difference. 

He sighs and walks over to him, muttering "Not here. Not in the lobby" before putting a hand on Riz's shoulder and steering him outside. 

Once they get outside, Riz whirls on him, face lined with worry. "Fabian, what the fuck is going on?" 

"Just some drama with the girls and me, really." He runs a hand through his hair and gives Riz a lopsided grin. "Not to worry though. It'll work itself out." 

Riz fixes him with the most disappointed look he's seen since he accidentally used the incorrect form fencing against his mother. "You're so full of shit. What happened?" 

"What happened to  _ you _ ?" Fabian counters and Riz just rolls his eyes. 

"Literally nothing. I went for a walk and broke into a creepy hotel, no one died, no bones broken." His voice softens. "I'm asking about you." 

Fabian bites his lip and slumps against the wall of the hotel, all poise forgotten. "I got into a fight with Fig. She struck a nerve, and I reacted… poorly," he responds carefully. 

Riz sees right through it. "You yelled at her and stormed out?" 

"How'd you know?" 

"I've been there," he says vaguely and guides Fabian over to a bench in front of the hotel. "Wanna talk about it?" 

He laughs bitterly. "That's the thing, I don't know if I can. I don't want to say something I can't take back." 

A memory flashes through his mind--a recent one, of him and his mother in the kitchen of Seacaster Manor. 

" _ Mama", he had asked, "why did you marry Papa?"  _

_ She had laughed in that distant way of hers and replied, "I bested him in combat and he proposed on the spot. From what he told me later on, it was not the first time he'd proposed, but damn him if it wasn't the first time they'd said yes."  _

_ Fabian laughed. "He had interesting standards, Papa did."  _

_ Hallariel nodded. "I suppose so, my dear."  _

_ Later on, Hallariel would stop him in the middle of a fencing session and say, "I was wrong. I was the second person to say yes to your father's proposals."  _

_ "What happened to the first?" he asked.  _

_ "He's dead now. Died the day after, your father said." She wrinkled her nose. "Suppose that is how it tends to go with pirate men." _

_ Fabian blinked a couple times, confused. "He?"  _

_ "Well, yes, your father didn't have much preference for gender when it came to sleeping with people." Hallariel smiled wistfully. "I was much the same way when I was younger. Dated a lovely tiefling girl when I was your age. Not your grandfather's favorite choice of mine."  _

_ "So…" he began, "if I liked boys as well as girls…"  _

_ "Darling, I think you'd just be following the family legacy."  _

Faintly, he hears Riz say, "I promise you can tell me," which snaps him back to reality. 

"I think I'm bisexual," he mumbles, and Riz raises an eyebrow and Fabian can tell he didn’t hear, so he’s got to say it again and louder and--"I think I’m bisexual, Riz,” he says, and it comes out more bitter than he intends. “I think I like guys.” 

Riz startles and tumbles rather ungracefully off the park bench and Fabian has to take a pause to laugh, even though his friend is on the ground it’s just so  _ ridiculous-- _ but he helps Riz back up onto the bench and all of a sudden the mood snaps back to the thing Fabian just said. That he’s bisexual. That he likes guys. That he likes--

“You’re-- _ what? _ ” Riz exclaims, interrupting his thoughts, his voice a little more disbelieving than Fabian would have liked. “You absolute  _ fuck! _ ”

“I was hoping you’d be more supportive--”

“No, no, no, shut  _ up _ ,” he says, cutting Fabian off once again, “that’s not what I mean, Fabian, I mean--for Yes?’s sake, you had me going thinking you were one of those dudebros who wouldn’t sleep in the same room as a gay guy.” 

He scoffs. “I have never been so insulted in my life to be called a  _ dudebro. _ Ragh Barkrock is a dudebro.  _ I _ am the pinnacle of athletic excellence.” 

“You’re an idiot,” Riz counters, and both of them start laughing. “God--alright, since we’re doing the sharing thing now, I’m totally gay, so--” 

It’s Fabian’s turn to fall off the bench, but he manages to save himself from hitting the concrete as he all but yells, “Excuse me!?”

“Oh, come on.” He rolls his eyes. “I’ve never even  _ looked _ at a girl that wasn’t my friend.”

“You’re so full of shit, Riz,” he says, and it’s hard to miss the massive smile that overtakes his friend’s face upon hearing his actual name, “that’s not how it works, you’ve looked at girls that aren’t Kristen, Fig, or Adaine.” 

“Can’t prove that,” Riz shoots back, and then they’re laughing again, and Fabian puts an arm around Riz’s shoulder and he leans in closer and now they’re hugging, and his fight with Fig doesn’t seem so important anymore. God, he’s completely forgotten that he was mad; Fabian’s so engrossed his conversation with Riz that whatever’s going on around him doesn’t matter, and so  _ that’s _ exactly when Kristen storms over to the two of them. Before they’ve even noticed, she swings her staff and hits them solidly in the back with it. 

“What the  _ fuck!? _ ” Fabian yells, rubbing the back of his head as he whirls around to face Kristen. 

She shrugs. “I was told I needed to be knocking some sense into you, Fabian.”

*

No one said that. But dear Yes?, what she wouldn’t have given to have been able to record the moment she clocked them in the head with her staff because it was  _ hilarious.  _ Forget conversions and followers, she’d just whack anyone she wanted to with her staff. 

“What the  _ hell _ , Kris?” Riz mutters, picking his hat up off the ground. "What did I do?" 

She shrugs. "I dunno, but he deserved it a little bit," she says, gesturing to Fabian. "I know you're mad, but storming off and running away doesn't solve any sexuality crisis you may be having." Kristen looks forlornly off into the distance. "Trust me." 

“It’s not--it’s not a  _ sexuality crisis, _ Kristen,” Fabian snaps, “I’m just sick of Fig getting into everyone else’s business and she just always pushes too hard and it’s so  _ annoying _ to feel like someone’s two words away from telling everyone your secrets.” 

“I get that.” She sighs. “Honestly, Fabian, you’re not the only one who’s a bit done with it, but it’s just… Fig’s way of being friendly. She doesn’t mean any harm.” 

He groans and Riz pats his shoulder comfortingly. “I know, Fabian, I know,” Riz says quietly and Kristen--

Oh. 

_ Ohhhhhhhh. _

“Are you two  _ dating _ ?” she exclaims, and through that statement discovers that she doesn’t even need the staff to make Riz fall off the bench. 

“No, we’re not,” Fabian says, puzzled. “Why would you think that?” 

Kristen catches Riz’s eyes and finally sees that he’s making wild slashing motions across his throat--which either means that she needs to shut up or he wants to die, and knowing Riz it could very well be either right now. 

“Yeah--never mind,” she responds carefully, narrowing her eyes at Riz, “I was just saying that you have every right to be pissed at Fig ‘cause sometimes that girl deserves it, but you gotta talk shit out, y’know?” 

He snorts. “Okay, Kris.” 

She puts her hands up. “Listen, I learn slowly, but I do learn. Communication does wonders for people,” Kristen says, talking at Fabian but looking directly at Riz. 

She gets up and leaves after that, leaving those two to whatever the hell they were doing before she showed up, and reminisces about what it was like to be so completely in the dark about your feelings. 

(Honestly, not that she’s gotten much better now, but it’s at least been long enough that Kristen feels justified in giving advice.)

“The theory has been confirmed,” she declares as she walks back into Fig and Adaine’s room, “we’re all gay.” 

“That’s not what a theory is--” Adaine begins as Fig glances up from her crystal and asks, “Is he okay?” 

Kristen blinks, confused. “Who?” 

She looks at Kris in disbelief. “What do you mean, who? You were looking for Fabian, Kristen, that’s the whole reason you left!” 

“Oh, yeah, he’s fine.” Kristen grins. “He and Riz were hanging out on the park bench outside,” she says in a singsong tone and giggles.

Adaine rolls her eyes. “Not you too. It’s not our business--” 

“It is my business,” she retorts, “because I’m head of Aguefort’s GSA and that means it’s my job to help the baby gays--” 

“Do  _ not _ call them that--”

Kristen barrels on nonetheless. “It’s my job to help them figure out feelings and stuff.” 

“Kristen, it’s probably not a good idea to get too involved,” Fig says quietly from the bed, and she looks over at her friend and she doesn’t think she’s ever seen Fig so sad before.

“Fig?” 

She glances up and gives her a half-smile. “Yeah?” 

“It’s gonna be okay.” 

*

God, what Gorgug wouldn’t give to have friends who weren’t so  _ confusing _ all the time. Someone told him they were going to dinner, but now apparently Fabian’s missing but Tracker stopped by to say he wasn’t, so that’s over with but they’re still not leaving for dinner, so who knows, really? 

Tracker and Zelda are sitting on the floor chatting as Zelda sketches out her latest album cover idea, which leaves Ragh and Gorgug laying on the bed, fingers entwined as Gorgug questions his choices in adventuring parties/best friends and Ragh plays Fantasy Pokemon Go. 

“So… are we going to dinner?” he asks, more to the ceiling than to anyone else in the room. 

Tracker just laughs. “Welcome to the life of the significant others, Gorgug. I have no clue, and no one’s gonna tell me anything until we need to do something right away.”

“But I’m in the Bad Kids,” Gorgug whines. “They should tell me things.”

She frowns sympathetically and says, “If It makes you feel any better, Kris told me it wasn’t anything life-threatening, just some fight between Fabian and Fig that needed clearing up.” 

“Oh, god.” Zelda winces. “I told her, she was pushing him too hard, he was bound to flip out on her at some point--”

“What’s happening?” Gorgug asks, but the conversation carries on around him. 

“No kidding,” Ragh replies, and Tracker shoots him a look. “What? I’m tellin’ ya, I spent almost all of my high school years tryin’ to convince myself that I was straight, I got  _ insight _ into this shit.” 

She snorts. “Of course you do, which is why the first time you even kind of let yourself think about a guy you  _ kissed him-- _ ”

“Will someone please--” Gorgug interjects helplessly. 

“Yeah, and he’s my goddamn boyfriend now, moon girl, so my judgment isn’t that bad--” 

Tracker’s jaw drops almost comically. “You did not just call me  _ moon girl! _ ”

“Will you all please tell me what’s going on?!” he yells, and all three of them look a bit sheepish--even Zelda, who wasn’t part of the yelling match--as Gorgug sits up. “Seriously!” 

Ragh pats his boyfriend’s hand. “Just some stuff that’s goin’ on between Fig and Fabian and Riz. Adaine and Kristen are doin’ their best, but there’s only so much stupid they can account for.” 

Gorgug scrunches his nose up, trying to work out why those three would be mad at each other. “What’s going on between Fig and Fabian?” 

“Man, are all six of you this dang oblivious?” Zelda mumbles though she looks upset the second she says it. “I--I’m sorry, I just meant--oh, jeez. They’re fighting ‘cause she thinks he’s got a crush on Riz and Fig thinks if she pushes harder, she can get him to admit it.” 

“...Does he?” he asks. 

She shrugs. “S’not really my business, babe.” 

“I thought Fabian was straight,” Gorgug says, laying back down on the pillow. “But I thought I was straight.” 

Ragh snickers. “You’re definitely not that.” 

He goes to shove him but misses and Ragh just laughs even more. The conversation quickly switches back into a heated debate about whether or not ‘moon girl’ is an appropriate nickname for Tracker (Gorgug thinks privately that it definitely is) and as Zelda is furiously searching for the words “moon” and “girl” in Sylan, Kristen opens the door. She doesn’t even bother to shut it or put her staff down and instead collapses directly into Tracker’s lap and starts mumbling something about Fig being sad (or mad. Or glad. Whatever Fig is, it ended in -ad) and the other two being morons and hitting them with her staff. 

It doesn’t feel like the right moment, but he’s been wondering for a while. “Are we still going to dinner?” 

Kristen continues mumbling, and Tracker just shrugs helplessly and mouths ‘I don’t know’. Her constant muttering in a language Gorgug can only assume is Common, but is sounding a lot more like Elvish to him because he can’t understand a word of it, is only interrupted by a collective ‘ping!’ from each and every one of their phones. 

**Riz Gukgak [5:32 PM] to** **_Spring Break Crick Bitches_ **

**[img.853128734.photo]**

Y’all we’re so fucked

That's Fabian’s dad’s name

On the register of this sketchy ass hotel 

**Fig Faeth the Insatiable [5:33 PM] to** **_Spring Break Crick Bitches_ **

huh. shit. 


	5. in which they finally go to dinner (and kristen tests her gaydar)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> fig learns something about fabian. kristen and riz have a heart-to-heart. adaine reflects.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy valentine's day!!!! hope y'all are enjoying your friday regardless of whether or not you conform to this holiday's bullshit romantic standards
> 
> sorry it's been a little while!!! hope this makes up for it <3

**Ragh Barkrock [5:36 PM] to** **_Spring Break Crick Bitches_ **

creepy as fuck but why are we the crick bitches

what is a ‘crick bitch’ 

Fig starts laughing hysterically in her room, which is currently only occupied by her, Adaine, and Riz, and the other two shoot her strange looks. 

“You… good?” Riz asks carefully, and he shares a look with Adaine, who shrugs. 

“I’m good, I’m good,” she giggles, “I was just waiting for someone to point out the name of the group chat and I’ve had like, a pretty bad day overall, so I’m just basking in this.” 

Adaine nods and goes back to poring over the picture Riz took with him. “So, I think that we ought to go check this out--” 

“Really?” Fig pouts. “You’re not gonna ask me about crick bitches?” 

“I’m sure you can explain it at dinner,” she says dismissively, and Fig forgets to be mad for a second because they’re  _ finally _ going to dinner, so she resolves to wait and give them the whole story after they eat.  Fabian’s picked a more upscale restaurant that is definitely not suited for a group of teenagers with little to no self-control, but he’s paying, so who really cares? 

“You know, Fabian,” Fig says as they walk into the restaurant, slinging an arm around his shoulders, “If Hallariel and Gilear ever get married--” 

He shudders. “Don’t even say that. I don’t want Gilear to hear it and get ideas.” 

“He’s  _ got _ ideas, you weirdo. Anyways, if they ever get married, we’d be kind of like, brother and sister!” she exclaims, and Fabian lets out a nervous laugh. 

“Well, yes, I guess so.” He slips out from under her arm. “Why do you mention this now?” 

As the host leads them to their table, Fig quietly clocks what everyone else is doing before she speaks up again. Riz and Adaine are still whispering to each other, hunched over his phone, Gorgug and Tracker are talking animatedly about some band, and Kristen is boasting loudly that she could beat Ragh in an arm-wrestling contest as Tracker furtively attempts to remind her that she already lost  _ several _ times. After confirming that no one else is listening, she mumbles, “I think we oughta be honest with each other, then.” 

Fabian pulls away from her, face creasing with worry. “Fig, what in the world are you on about?” 

She grabs his arm and yanks him off to the side, trying to make sure no one else can hear before saying, “I’m sorry. I owe you a hundred million apologies for being such a dick to you, everyone always says I don’t know when to stop and I didn’t mean to assume you were gay or anything--” 

“I am.” 

“Fabian, I am  _ trying _ to apologize here.” Fig blinks a couple of times. “Wait, hold on a moment--” 

He laughs. “Well, I’m bisexual, not gay. And I’d like to hear the rest of that apology, but honestly, Fig, fighting with my friends is  _ so  _ tiring; I’d much rather get a chance to make fun of you with the rest of the group than be constantly pissed at you.” 

Fig claps excitedly, drawing a few stares from the patrons of the restaurant who she promptly sticks her tongue out at and ignores. “I’m bisexual too! Bi twins!” 

“ _ Hell _ yes,” Fabian says, holding his hand out for a high five. Fig chooses instead to wrap him in a tight hug, and after a few moments, he gingerly hugs her in return. 

She can feel the people who she stuck her tongue out at glaring a hole in her back, so when she ends the hug with Fabian she suggests they rejoin the rest of the group. When they get back to the table, it seems like no one had even noticed they’d left--Riz turns to Fabian almost immediately and starts bombarding him with questions about his dad and the Hotel Cavalier, and Kristen loops Fig in on the current debate on whether or not they should drive along the coast or attempt to find some sort of boat. (Considering Fig was expecting them to still be arm-wrestling, she’s happy for the change in topic.) 

The food is way better than any of them were expecting, and although Adaine and Fabian try desperately to be respectful of the other patrons at the restaurant, the rest of the group is much more interested in yelling at each other until the wait staff asks them to stop. They quiet down marginally until Fig exclaims, “You guys! You never asked me about crick bitches, you  _ dick,  _ Adaine, you were supposed to remind me--” 

“Not what I said,” Adaine mutters, drowned out by the rest of Fig’s sentence. 

“So  _ anyway _ , someone ask me what it means! Someone. Anyone.” 

“Fig--” 

Kristen looks over and grins. “I’ll bite. What’s it mean?” she asks, much to Adaine’s chagrin.

She looks around at the rest of her friends before clearing her throat dramatically. “Despite the swearing, referring to someone as a crick bitch is a declaration of love. It is a mark of utmost respect.” 

“Where?” Fabian says in pure disbelief. “Where in this godforsaken world is calling someone a bitch respectful?”

“I gotta agree with Fig on this one here, y’all are my bitches and I love you!” Kristen yells, and Tracker shoots her a murderous look as the waitress who's been serving them comes over to remind them that they will have to leave the restaurant if they don’t quiet down. 

They do not, in fact, quiet down, but when they’re inevitably kicked out, they head back to their hotel all nine of them squeeze into Fabian and Riz’s room--already complete with a miniature clue board on one edge of the room and the Hangman on the other (they’d thrown a blanket over it as if that made it look less like a motorcycle)--and it takes about a minute and a half before Kristen is suggesting sleepover games. 

Normally, this would be Fig’s moment to suggest some plan to everyone else to get Fabian and Riz in some romantic situation but ever since he officially came out to her she’s sort of lost the motivation. 

Only sort of. She’s already used Messenger to recommend to Kris that they play any and every awkward romantic game she knows and Kris has readily agreed. 

\--

There is no way in Heaven Kristen is letting Fig get away with any of those games. She wouldn’t know subtlety if it hit her in the head--and this is coming from  _ Kristen Applebees _ . 

The irony of that is not lost on her, and it does take her a few moments of laughing into Tracker’s shoulder over her own extremely witty pun to regain her composure. “Alright y’all,” she says, “This is kinda a dumb request, but I think it’d be pretty cool if we could just have a quick, like, open conversation about how we’re feeling and stuff right now before we get into daring each other to lick walls and stuff. I’m not sayin’, like, be totally honest and tell us all your secrets, cause I’m not Jawbone, but anything you wanna share with us you’re totally welcome to.” Kristen gestures to the entire group, but she stares directly at Fabian and Riz as she does so and Riz stares right back while Fabian moves around a bit uncomfortably. 

Fig speaks up first. “So, I know I’m not usually open with my feelings,” she begins, which elicits a chorus of groans from the rest of the group and a “yes you fucking are, Fig” from Adaine, “but honestly I’m super excited for this trip even if it kind of ends up being an adventure cause of this whole sketchy shit with Fabian’s dad. I love you guys like crazy, I really do.” 

Kris watches as Gorgug and Zelda hug her tightly and Ragh gives her a comforting pat on the leg. Fig laughs a bit and hugs them back before saying, “I gotta be straight with y’all.” 

“Yeah?” Gorgug looks at her expectantly. Ragh, Kristen, and Tracker all glance back and forth and while the Messenger cantrip is useful, she doesn’t need it to know that all three of them known exactly what this horrible, horrible tiefling girl is about to say. 

A grin slowly spreads across Fig’s face and she starts giggling uncontrollably before exclaiming, “It might be a little bit hard though ‘cause I’m definitely bisexual!” 

“Oh my  _ god _ ,” Kristen responds rather dramatically, “You’re the worst person I’ve ever met, Figueroth Faeth, the  _ worst _ .” 

“Worse than--” Fig starts ticking off names on her fingers. “Helio himself, Coach Daybreak, Goldenrod,  _ Aelwen motherfucking Abernant,  _ and every other bad person we’ve ever faced?” 

She meets her eyes and, without blinking, simply says, “Yes.”

Everyone else in the circle starts laughing and Adaine thanks Fig for using “her bitch sister’s proper middle name” and the resulting chaos almost drowns out Riz yelling “Guys! Guys! Pay attention to me! I am trying to make an announcement--” 

Kris pauses her loud argument with Fig just long enough to notice Fabian scoop Riz up and place him on his shoulders so that the smaller boy is effectively taller than everyone else and Riz shouts over the din, “I’m GAY!” 

There are very few things that’ll shock the Bad Kids into silence, but loud declarations of sexuality... aren’t actually one of them. Ragh and Tracker are yelling over each other, Fabian and Gorgug are discussing sandwiches with Riz still sitting on his shoulders and Adaine and Zelda desperately try to carry on a normal conversation off to the side. 

After a little more conversation where Kris does a quick tally of how many of them are queer (and glares a bit at Fabian and Adaine, who are the only two technically heterosexuals left, but only a little bit) they start a game of fantasy Down by the Banks in which every time they say “bullfrog” it is replaced by “Boggy”. Both Kristen and Riz are eliminated almost immediately, Kristen because she wasn’t paying attention and Riz because he accidentally smacked Adaine in the chest and was eliminated on principle. 

They strike up a short conversation off to the side, and Kristen asks, “So, were you always planning on coming out to all of us at the same time?” 

He rolls his eyes. “You already knew.” 

She throws her head back and laughs loudly. “I have a fantastic gaydar, Riz, but I can only guess without concrete proof.” 

“That’s fair,” Riz concedes. “I wasn’t planning on coming out at all, honestly, I was kind of hoping I could just get away with… not telling anyone. Not having to make it a thing.” 

“Wouldn’t that be the dream,” Kris mutters and downs the rest of her drink. “I’m glad you told us. I wish we would have been a bit more… respectful, but ya know the drill around here.” She blows a kiss to Tracker. “Ain’t nobody gotta be ashamed of loving someone.” 

It’s blink-and-you’ll-miss-it, but Kristen swears Riz looks taken aback for a split second before glancing over to their friends, and it doesn’t take a genius to know he’s looking at Fabian. She bites her tongue, though, as he turns back to her and says, “Yeah. Yeah. I appreciate it, Kristen. You and Tracker are… not good role models, but you are really proud.” He stares down at his feet and shuffles awkwardly. “I think that’s really cool.” 

She nods. “Thanks, Riz. You know…” Kristen trails off as she watches the circle for a bit, trying to choose her next words carefully. “He’s good for you.” 

“What?” he asks, startled. “I--Kris--” Riz sighs. “Ugh. Screw it. Thank you. I sure hope so.” 

Kristen winks and saunters back over to the rest of the party, draping herself across Tracker and giving her a deep kiss. Tracker returns it and puts an arm around her girlfriend. “What was that all about?” she asks as Kristen nuzzles her face into her shoulder. 

“Tell you later,” Kris mumbles and Tracker just laughs. 

“Okay, babe. Ready to lose at Truth or Dare?” 

\--

Adaine despises Truth or Dare.

It is objectively the worst party game, followed closely by Never Have I Ever and any other game where Adaine has to lie and pretend like she’s ever had a crush in her entire life. 

Honestly, Riz is going to get some sort of ancient disease from the number of times they’ve dared him to lick walls, and eventually, she won’t be able to keep Fig from asking to play Spin the Bottle or something like that, which means she’s going to have to rely on the rest of the group. 

Which is… not super reassuring. 

“Guys, I have the  _ best _ idea!” Fig exclaims, and before Adaine can send off a Messenger she says, “I think we oughta up the stakes a little bit.” 

She leans back and waits for Fig’s brilliant idea, which turns out to be just Truth or Dare but also with spells, and opts to just let them regret things in a few minutes. 

Maybe it’s a bit strange, but she feels a bit introspective, so Adaine pulls her knees up to her chest and watches her friends interact. 

She ends up focusing on Ragh, Gorgug, and Zelda, who are being infuriatingly cute--even the way Zelda and Ragh interact is amazing. Adaine can only imagine what’s it’s like to be dating one person, let alone two. She watches Zelda give Ragh a high-five and bites her lip. 

It’s a weird feeling Adaine’s getting from watching these three. Watching them interact feels  _ wrong _ , even though they’re her friends and she ought to be comfortable around them--she’s not jealous, she has nothing against polyamory, and Zelda’s only attracted to guys, same with Ragh. 

What’s wrong with her? 

Her thoughts wander back to Zelda--Adaine expects the worst of herself, she expects to feel something she doesn’t want to--but it’s not something like that she thinks of, just a conversation they had on the way to Bastian City. 

_ “You’re not interested in Ragh, right?” Adaine asks, hoping she doesn’t sound rude.  _

_ Zelda laughs and shakes her head. “No, and even if I was I don’t really I think I’m his type.” She looks over to the front of the van where Gorgug is driving. “I’m asexual, anyways. It’s strange for a satyr, but hey. It could be worse.”  _

_ Adaine knows she’s become a lot more open since she started dating Gorgug and fighting alongside the Seven Maidens, but that doesn’t feel like something you just say casually in conversation. “Asexual?”  _

_ “I don’t experience sexual attraction.” She shrugs. “Gorgug’s okay with it, so that’s all that matters.”  _

She watches Zelda and her mind races; it feels like a puzzle with half the pieces missing. 

It’d be easier if she could just make a joke like Fig, tell everyone she was a lesbian. Yell it out like Riz. Proudly kiss her partner like Kris and Tracker do. 

But Adaine doesn’t want to. 

So what in the hell does she want? 


	6. in which they leave for leviathan (and nobody sleeps)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> fabian reveals something about his dad. gorgug can’t sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope you enjoy this!!!!! i'm sorry it's like super late, but it's Done and it's like 2.5k so that's good right???? 
> 
> have some feelings and fluffy gorgug and riz friendship because i always accidentally ignore him and chej deserves better

Fabian and Riz slowly clean up their shared hotel room at around three in the morning, not drunk but definitely exhausted from whatever the hell this night was. Despite that, they don’t truly go to bed but instead both flop down onto their bed and strike up a conversation about where they want to go next. 

“There was a city somewhere I went to a few times with my parents,” Fabian says, staring at the ceiling. “A city on the water. I haven’t been in years, but I’d love to go back someday. Oh, or Fallinel. I’ve never been.” 

Riz snorts. “Fallinel? Really? You want to hang around a bunch of high elves?” 

“I’m part high elf, you asshole,” he responds, trying to sound as pompous and annoyed as possible. “Hallariel may be a hot mess, but she is also a high elf.”

“Does that mean you have family down there?” Riz asks softly, rolling over to face Fabian. “If Hall--if your mom’s a high elf?” 

He shrugs as best as he can while laying down. “I think so. I’ve never met them, so…” he trails off uncomfortably, because finishing that sentence means that Fabian has to acknowledge the dawning realization that he doesn’t have any family besides Hallariel left. Of course he  _ know _ s that family isn’t just your flesh and blood and that the Bad Kids are his family too, but it’d still be nice to have a cousin or something he could talk to. 

He’s pulled back out of his thoughts by Riz tugging at his sweatshirt and saying “Fabian, you okay?” and he wants to say  _ yes, I’m okay _ but for some reason what comes out is actually more of a strangled sob than an answer. 

“Shit,” he hears his best friend mumble as he pulls away from Fabian. “Um, come on, man, sit up. What’s the matter?” 

“Nothing,” Fabian says, though it comes out more bitter than he intended. Riz looks a little hurt at that, and he instinctively reaches out to touch his hand lightly. “I’m sorry, the Ball--”

Riz jerks away, eyes wide. "I--um--I have to--I wanted to ask you about the city! The floating city you mentioned!" he blurts, though it's clearly not what he wanted to say. "I was curious--you said your dad took you there-- and I meant to ask, do you know this name?" He shows Fabian the picture of the register and points to the name right above his dad's. 

He furrows his brows. "I… which name?" 

"Garthy O'Brien." 

Fabian starts, briefly remembering something Cathilda had said about his father. "Yes. Yes, I know them. They're… ho-ly  _ shit _ , Riz, the city is called Leviathan. Leviathan, that's where we have to go next!"

"Oh, alright!" Riz says, scrambling to text the others. "Um, we'll leave tomorrow afternoon. Adaine can figure out where to go, er, Gorgug can probably drive, and--"

"Riz," he interrupts, "it's almost four in the morning. We can take care of all this later. I am going to sleep." 

Fabian rolls over and shuts his eyes, but sleep doesn't come. He's almost too tired to sleep, isn't that just ironic, but about a half-hour later he feels Riz clamber into the bed next to him. They lay in silence for a bit before Fabian rolls back over and pulls his best friend in close to him. He's too fucking tired to care about what this means, and his brain is racing too fast to notice that Riz seems to have frozen in place. 

The next thing he knows, he's asleep. 

When he wakes up, Riz is gone, but the pillows are still dented in his shape and the bed still smells--

_ What the _ fuck,  _ brain _ , Fabian thinks to himself as he sits up and yawns. He calls out, "Riz?" and no one answers. 

He looks up at the clock and realizes it's almost 11, so he gets up and he gets ready and he goes over to Gorgug's room and finds Adaine there with them. Fabian's face falls for a second when he doesn't see Riz, but he recovers quickly and sits down with Adaine to discuss plans for Leviathan. 

"It'd be best to get there by water," she muses, "but we don't have a boat." 

"I have a van," Gorgug volunteers, and Ragh snickers from where he's laying on the bed, laptop open. "What? I do." 

"It's not a boat, babe," he says. 

He pouts. "But it can go on water!" 

Adaine and Fabian look at him, almost perfectly in sync, with confusion painted on their faces. "What?" she asks. "It-- _ what? _ "

“The van can go on water,” he says, seemingly unaware of the completely bizarre thing he’s just told them. “Why are you looking at me like that? Do you really think my parents would just have a normal van?” 

Fabian huffs, still a bit confused. “Well, I did up until now.” 

Gorgug just laughs until Zelda rolls over from where she’s been trying to ignore everyone else and smacks him on the shoulder. “Ow,” he mumbles, rubbing his shoulder. “I mean, I kind of get why because like, vans don’t normally go on water--” 

“You don’t say,” Adaine grouses. 

He barrells on, ignoring her comments. “But come on guys, my parents own a tank! Why wouldn’t their van also be a boat?” Gorgug’s face lights up. “A boatvan! Vanboat!”

Fabian looks across the room and makes eye contact with Ragh, mouthing “Really? Him?”

Ragh just shrugs. “Dude just said his parents own a tank. If that’s not enough reason to date someone, I don’t know what is.” 

“I don’t know, their personality,” he deadpans and Adaine stifles a snicker behind her hand. “Their interests. Their looks.” 

The rest of the room rolls their eyes collectively--Fabian can tell Zelda is too, even though she’s got her face buried in a pillow--and Adaine says, “And, pray tell, why would you be the authority on this? Last I checked, your last crush was on the person with the worst personality in the world.” 

“Aelwen doesn’t count--” 

Adaine snorts and even Gorgug gives him a disbelieving look with that one. “Yeah, okay, Fabian.”

Later that day when they’re on the way to Leviathan--indeed in the van-boat Gorgug borrowed from his parents--Adaine and Fabian are talking idly about something to do with the route to Leviathan. Apparently it’s supposed to take about two days, which sounds like literal Hell to Fabian, but that leaves plenty of time open to… do the same thing he always does. 

“Riz mentioned you knew the person whose name is below your dad’s on the register?” she says casually, pulling up the photo on her phone. “What exactly do you know about him?” 

“Them,” Fabian corrects, “if I’m remembering correctly. And, um…” he trails off, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. “I think they were one of my dad’s exes?”

Adaine stares at him blankly for a few seconds before realization sets in. "I didn't know your dad was…" 

"Bisexual," he finishes. "So is my mom. But we can't quite use her reputation on Leviathan like we can with my dad's." Fabian sits up a little straighter, puffing his chest out a bit. "You're traveling with the son of Bill Seacaster, after all." 

She rolls her eyes. "The son of Bill Seacaster could stand to be slightly less of an arrogant prick." 

"And the Elven Oracle could stand to be a little less judgy," he mutters in response and Adaine throws her head back with laughter. 

"I'm observant, not  _ judgy _ ." 

Fabian sticks his tongue out at her and she laughs even harder. She jots a couple things down on a notepad before saying "So, both Hallariel and Bill are bi? I think with that kind of influence you better be too, considering you're almost a perfect blend of the two." 

He's not sure why, but her words cut deeper than they should. Fabian shrinks in on himself though he still laughs and replies, "Well, I think I might… like boys too. Maybe. Is that bad?" 

"In what goddamn world would that be bad?" Adaine asks incredulously. "Fabian, this is the gayest group of kids in the whole of Spyre. We're your family and we say it's not bad."

He bites the inside of his lip and grins awkwardly at Adaine, who's now looking awfully concerned for him. "Thanks, Addy." 

"Addy?" she asks, amused. 

Fabian shrugs. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to, it just kind of… slipped out.” 

Adaine laughs yet again, the concern on her face vanishing yet again. “Well,  _ Fabs _ , I’ve got to go set the rest of the course for Leviathan. Don’t have too much fun without me.” 

“I promise I won’t.” 

*

Apparently Fabian can drive, so Gorgug’s a bit confused as to why they’ve all been making him drive the entire time so far, but whatever. He gets to sleep a little bit. 

Well, he tries to sleep. He falls asleep with his hands tangled with Zelda’s (Ragh is keeping Fabian company) and Gorgug barely gets an hour of sleep before he wakes to yelling in the makeshift room next to him--he’s fairly sure it’s Riz’s, especially because he can tell that it’s Riz who’s yelling. There doesn’t seem to be a second voice, but it’s muffled so maybe he just can’t hear it. 

Gorgug thinks about trying to go back to sleep. His hand is still in Zelda’s, and she’s sleeping peacefully next to him, so he could just lay here and pretend like he didn’t wanna wake her up. 

But it sounds like Riz is upset, and Gorgug’s friends mean the whole world to him. He can skip a few hours of sleep to help one of them out. 

He gets up and pulls on his hoodie before slowly walking to Riz’s room, where it sounds like the yelling has subsided and left an eerie quiet in its wake. Fabian and Ragh are chattering away about some pirate thing up front, seemingly unable to hear whatever Gorgug heard. 

His first thought is  _ what if it’s a ghost?  _ and his second thought is  _ why would it be a ghost?  _ The second thought sounds an awful lot like Adaine, which reassures him--she’s really smart, and if the Adaine in his thoughts doesn’t think it’s a ghost, he shouldn’t either. 

Gorgug knocks quietly on Riz’s door and he hears a loud crash come from inside, followed by some loud cursing and a “I’ll be right there!”. He waits patiently outside the door for a little while until Riz opens it, looking extremely frazzled and exhausted. His eyes widen first in confusion and then in shock when he sees Gorgug standing outside the door, followed by a grin that flits across his face. 

“Er, sorry, Gorgug, I wasn’t expecting you.” Riz smiles apologetically, but he keeps the door shut just enough so that he can’t see into the room. “Whaddya need?” 

He furrows his eyebrows. “I don’t need anything. I heard you yelling an’ I wanted to know if you wanted to, like, talk about stuff.” He shoves his hands deep in his hoodie pocket, already worried that Riz is mad at him for interrupting. “My parents are always telling me about how important it is to be honest with your friends and all that.” 

Riz sighs at that before saying “That’s really nice of you, Gorgug, but I’m all good.” He gives him a cheesy thumbs-up that Gorgug is hesitant to return. 

“Are you sure?” he asks. “I heard you yelling at… something. From my room. I wasn’t, like, standing here.” 

“Yup, all good, nothing’s wrong--” Riz cuts himself off abruptly and bites his lip hard; it doesn’t take a genius to see that he’s on the verge of tears. “You can go back to bed now.” 

Gorgug shakes his head, planting his foot in the doorway so that Riz can’t shut it. “I’m not gonna.” 

“Gorgug--” 

He shakes his head yet again and crosses his arms petulantly. “We’re friends. We talk about things. Is something going on?” 

They have what can only be considered a standoff for a few minutes--Gorgug with his arms folded across his chest towering over Riz, who could probably win on an intimidation check against a devil. 

And then Riz bursts into tears. 

Gorgug glances around to see if Ragh and Fabian have noticed any of this, but they seem completely oblivious to what’s going on in the back of the vanboat. He pushes past Riz and shuts the door behind him, trying to guide his friend to the bed without outright shoving him. That plan quickly fails, so Gorgug elects instead to just pick him up and set him down on the bed. Riz weighs about the same as his parents, so it’s not exactly hard. 

He sits down on the floor next to Riz, legs crossed, and asks, “Are you going to tell me what’s wrong now?” 

“Why are you here?” Riz blurts out, though he looks like he regrets it as he says it. “I didn’t--I don’t mean that I’m not grateful, you’re a great friend. It’s just...” he trails off, wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt. “Sorry.” 

Gorgug shrugs. “Nothin’ to apologize for. You were expecting, like, Fabian or someone, right?” 

He groans, “I am not in the mood to get teased, Gorgug.” 

“No, I won’t tease you about that. I just mean…” he thinks for a second before continuing. “We’re all best friends, but Fabian is your best-best friend, right? So, like, he’s the one who normally comforts you after all this stuff.” 

“Yeah.” 

“But he’s driving.” Gorgug gives him a lopsided grin. “So you’re stuck with me. Now, tell your old friend Gorgug what’s the matter.” 

Riz laughs wetly and shakes his head. “You’re a fucking nerd.” 

“Don’t you know it.” 

“Well, I…” he begins, before sighing and starting over. “So I wasn’t really sleeping, cause originally I was up with Ragh and Fabian, but then Fabian told me to go to bed and since I’m  _ gay  _ and in  _ love with him _ I do what he says, so I went to my room and looked at the clue board for a bit.” 

Gorgug blinks a couple times, a little lost. “You’re in love with Fabian?” 

“Not the point.” 

“Sorry.” 

Riz bites his lip. “You’re fine. Anyways, I have my clue board and for the most part it’s just like, random stuff that I’ve found, but I have this photo of my dad and his old colleague, and it’s probably not super relevant to anything because god knows what happened to her, but I think I was just so exhausted, so I saw the picture of my dad and his partner and I just got… mad. I guess. I didn’t think anyone could hear me.” He takes a deep breath and buries his face in his hands. “I’m rambling.” 

“That sucks, Riz,” Gorgug says earnestly. “I’m really sorry you’re not feeling super great right now. You should sleep, though. We should get to Leviathan late tomorrow night, so we’re not gonna be sleeping much then.” 

He snorts. “I’ll think about it.” 

“That’s all I can ask.” 

Gorgug gets up to leave but as he’s walking out the door, he hears Riz say from behind him, “Thank you, Gorgug. You’re a really good friend.” 

He smiles a little. “Thanks, Riz. I hope you feel better.” 

“Me too.” 


	7. in which they make some friends (and a few enemies)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> riz gets drunk. fig sneaks off. adaine has it out with an elf.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> today has been way too long and it's 9 am 
> 
> hope you enjoy!!! sorry it's been a while, musical has been INSANE and i haven't slept in weeks 
> 
> love y'all!!!

They reach Leviathan late at night, but they’re all so amped from finally reaching a new city that none of them are particularly inclined to sleep. There’s a slight altercation when they get there, and Fabian ends up having it out with the boatswain of Leviathan because at first, she claims the vanboat as the property of the city and then mortally offends Fabian when she hasn’t heard of him specifically. Riz loves Fabian, he really does, but the guy’s ego is insane. 

They are pointed towards a massive hotel in the center of the city which is in stark contrast to the rest of the dilapidated pirate city, adorned in lush gardens and a large sign reading “Gold Gardens”. Fabian confirms that this is, in fact, the hotel he stayed at when he used to come here, and he takes off down the main street of Leviathan, happier than he’s seemed in a while. 

To the rest of the group, the city is  _ terrifying. _ Even Fig, who thrives in naturally scary environments, recoils at some of the leers she gets from older pirates, and Adaine hexes anyone she hears catcalling them. 

When they finally reach the Gold Gardens, they are greeted by a  _ gorgeous  _ aasimar who somehow manages to be everyone in the group’s type. Fabian gives them a little smile and wave, and they give him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. 

“You’re the Seacaster kid, right, lovey?” they ask, and Fabian nods, beaming. “Good to see you again, really. And who would these lovely companions happen to be?” 

Adaine sticks her hand out stiffly and says, “Adaine Abernant. Pleasure.” 

They shake it, grinning. “I know about you. You’re the new Elven Oracle, aren’t you, darling?” 

She nods, and it doesn’t take a genius to realize that she’s extremely uncomfortable. Riz steps forward and clears his throat. “You wouldn’t happen to be Garthy O’Brien, would you?” 

“In the flesh.” 

“I have a few questions for you--” Riz starts before he is unceremoniously cut off by Fabian clamping his hand over his mouth. Riz shoots him a glare and his best friend simply shrugs. 

“It’s midnight,” he hisses quietly, “Let’s start with the interrogation tomorrow, shall we?” 

Riz rolls his eyes and pulls Fabian’s hand away. “Sorry. I can ask you in the morning.” 

Garthy waves their hand through the air, still smiling energetically. “It’s no problem, lovey. Would you all like to come in for a drink?” 

Before anyone else can get a word in edgewise, Kristen yells “Hell yes!” and runs through the door in front of them, Tracker and Fig on her heels. The rest of them follow suit, though less enthusiastically, and as they enter they are greeted with a magnificent casino-slash-bar that is adorned in golden decor. Fig and Kris make a beeline for the bar while everyone else splits off to find something to do. 

“It’s loud in here,” Riz says to Fabian after they’ve been steadily working through quite a bit of alcohol (and a few different kinds of drugs, but Fabian passes his Con save and is unfortunately sober while Riz continues to get drunker and drunker). “We should leave.” 

Fabain nods his agreement and they head to where they were informed their hotel room was. It’s as lovely and gorgeous as the rest of the Gold Gardens, but the two boys don’t stop to admire it as they flop down onto the bed. 

Riz sighs and set the glass he’s been down, snuggling up against Fabian’s chest. His brain is fuzzy and his thoughts are all jumbled, but he knows that Fabian is warm and soft and that’s a good thing. 

He curls up against his best friend and mumbles, “I love you, you know?” 

Fabian laughs. “Yeah, I know.” 

“Sometimes I think you know.” Riz rolls over on the bed and stares up at the ceiling. “Sometimes I don’t.” 

“I--what are you on about, Riz? I love you too, you dumbass.” 

He sits up and shakes his head, leaning against the pillow. “No, I like--I  _ love  _ you love you. Like, I’m  _ in love with you _ .” 

His mind is all messed up, but the fog disperses for a few seconds and he realizes what he’s just said. Riz stumbles over his words a bit as Fabian’s eyes go wide and even drunk Riz knows that he can’t take that back; he can’t make Fabian forget what he’s just said. 

For a second, he lets himself imagine what it would be like if Fabian felt the same way. It’s a nice thought, but it’s quickly stripped away by him saying “You’re in love with me? Riz, I didn’t--I’m sorry, I didn’t know.” 

“I know you didn’t know,” Riz scowls, “because I didn’t want you to know. Can you just forget I said anything? I’m drunk, I’m crazy, whatever.” 

“Sure.” Fabian looks a little bit hurt for a second before his eyes light up. “Do you think you’ll remember any of this in the morning?” 

He shrugs. “I honestly have no idea, but I hope not.” Riz doesn’t say that he feels less drunk now--accidentally admitting your feelings for someone feels a bit like the equivalent of getting twenty gallons of cold water dumped on you. He doesn’t say that he’s certain he’ll remember. 

He doesn’t say that he wants to. 

“Why not?” Fabian asks.

Riz doesn’t want to answer honestly because that will make it seem more real--part of him’s still hoping he can blame it on being drunk. 

“Because I don’t want to have to remember getting rejected in the morning?” He laughs a little, but there’s no humor in it. “Because I’ve had a crush on you since freshman year and I was really hoping it would have gone away by now, but  _ no _ ,” Riz says bitterly, “Even though crushes--being in love with someone--are supposed to go away after that long, I’m still here. Even though you  _ don’t _ , and you will  _ never, _ love me the same way.” 

There’s a brief pause--just enough time for the two boys to make eye contact--before Fabian pulls Riz towards him and kisses him on the mouth. It’s nothing magical, there’s not any fireworks, but the way Fabian looks at him after they break apart is enough to make Riz start blushing wildly. 

He wants to speak up and say something but he can’t seem to form the words, so he goes with the other option. Riz grabs Fabian’s shirt and pulls him close, kissing him again. This time it’s slower, less of the kind of kiss you would give someone at Spin-The-Bottle and more real and passionate. Fabian’s hands go to Riz’s hair and tangle themselves in it, and the latter shifts so that he’s sitting in Fabian’s lap and practically straddling him, and the world slips away behind them. 

If you had asked Riz his freshman year what his first kiss would be like, he might have just shrugged and not really answered. He might have said that he hoped it would be with Fabian. He definitely wouldn’t have said that it would be in the hotel room of a floating city while the rest of his friends party downstairs and he most certainly wouldn’t have said that it would feel like everything he’s ever wanted since he met Fabian Aramais Seacaster. 

They pause for a second to catch their breath and Fabian asks, “Do you think we should maybe, like, have a conversation about what this means first?” 

He blinks, thinking about it momentarily before shaking his head. “We can do that in the morning.” 

“Works for me,” he responds, leaning back towards Riz as his hands flirt with the edge of his best friend’s shirt, and  _ that _ is where we close the door on them. 

*

Fig’s all alone at a bar, and she’s unfortunately sober. The bartender won’t serve her group any more alcohol, and all of her friends have vanished anyway, so what does it matter? She lost track of Fabian and Riz hours ago, Adaine is hiding in a booth with Zelda in an effort to avoid the crowds, and who knows where the other four went. All Fig knows is that she’s  _ bored,  _ and she’s  _ alone _ . 

Glancing around furtively, she gets up and makes her way towards the door into the Gold Gardens and steps outside, shoulders relaxing as the fresh air hits her. She ought to stay out here for a little while longer. It’s not as much fun in there as she would have hoped. 

Fig shoves her hands in her pockets and starts down the main street of Leviathan. She’s got no idea where she’s going, but the pirates mostly keep to themselves and those who look at her are not doing so unkindly. Tieflings are lucky to go unbothered in towns like these--who wants to mess with the girl with the horns? 

She wanders the city for a bit until she reaches a small building with a broken sign hanging from it that reads “Compass Points Library”. It doesn’t look like it’s open, but since that’s never stopped her before, Fig pushes at the front door and finds it unlocked. She walks in and finds that despite the building’s outward appearance, it’s got a rather large collection of books that are kept neatly. An older humanoid is sleeping at the front desk, and Fig elects to ignore him and just walk right into the rest of the library. 

She’s able to poke around the books for a bit before she hears a sort of whoosh from behind her which startles her a little bit. Fig plants her feet and reaches for the guitar strapped to her back, looking around for whatever made the noise. 

She doesn’t have to look hard. As Fig turns her back to the bookcase, she is met face-to-face by a young woman with large wings and dark brown skin with eyes that are seemingly made of fire. 

Fig’s first assessment is that this woman is gorgeous. Her second assessment is that this woman is much taller and stronger than Fig, which is kind of hot. Her third assessment is less of an observation and more of the dawning realization that she’s trespassing in a library and it kinda seems like she’s about to be in a lot of trouble. 

“It’s a little late for someone to be here,” the young woman says in a clipped tone. “Who are you?” 

“Are you going to have me arrested if I tell you?” Fig jokes and she blinks in confusion. 

“Why would I do that?” she asks, tilting her head to the side. 

Fig laughs a little, then sticks her hand out to the young woman across from her. “Figueroth Faeth the Insatiable. The title is not optional.” 

The woman bites her lip. “I know you.” 

“I think I would have remembered meeting someone as pretty as you,” she flirts and puts her hand down once she realizes this is not one of those situations. “What’s your name?” 

“Ayda Aguefort,” Ayda says, and she giggles a bit at Fig’s visceral reaction to her last name. “You’re correct, we’ve never met. But I do know you, Figueroth Faeth the Insatiable. You go to Aguefort. You killed Kalvaxas.” 

Fig briefly considers taking all the credit for Kalvaxas’ defeat, but she opts instead to laugh it off and just responds with “Well, my friends and I killed him. I can’t take all the credit.” Ayda just nods, so she clears her throat awkwardly and shoves her hands into her pockets. “So, uh, you’re an Aguefort, huh? Don’t suppose you happen to be…” Fig trails off lamely. 

“Half-phoenix?” she finishes in a dry voice. “Arthur Aguefort’s daughter?”

“Yeah.” 

Ayda sighs and leans back against one of the shelves. “I’m both. Now, Figueroth Fa--”

“You can call me Fig,” she interrupts, holding up a hand. “I was kidding earlier. Sorry.” 

She bites her lip again and nods quietly. “You don’t need to apologize. I don’t understand humor sometimes. It’s complicated.” 

Fig shrugs. “Don’t worry about it.” 

They stand in awkward silence for a moment before Fig speaks up. “Well, Ayda, it was nice to, um, meet you. I’m glad to hear stories of my heroic deeds have made it all the way to you.” 

Ayda gives her a half-smile and asks, “How long are you here in Leviathan for?” 

“A couple of days, three tops.” She smiles back before realizing something. “Do, uh, do crystals work here? Like, is there service or whatever?” 

“I’m not sure. I’ve never had a crystal. Why do you ask?” She tilts her head to the side and Fig just  _ melts. _

“I just wanted to, like, maybe call you or something but it’s fine! Okay, bye Ayda, see you around!” she blurts out and then runs out of the library, and by the time Ayda calls out “Goodbye, Fig!” she’s already halfway down the street. 

Fig doesn’t let herself think about Ayda Aguefort until she’s back in the hotel room with Adaine, who is wise enough to pretend like she’s asleep but apparently not quite wise enough to remember that elves don’t sleep. She laughs quietly to herself, then begins to get ready for bed, all the while planning how she’s going to get back to the Compass Points Library as many times as humanly possible before they leave Leviathan. 

* 

Adaine is barely in the Gardens for twelve minutes before she decides that she hates it. 

It’s  _ loud _ , and everyone is so very drunk, and she’s lost track of all of her friends except Zelda (who’s stuck with her the whole time--anxiety pals, anyone?). The two of them last about twenty-three minutes overall before deciding to head out, but as they do so, Adaine runs quite literally into a humanoid in front of her. 

The humanoid turns around and Adaine’s blood runs cold as she realizes it’s a high elf. And oh  _ god _ , it’s a high elf she  _ knows _ . Adaine instinctively reaches into the pocket of her jacket as she stares down the Mage Captain of Fallinel--that piece of  _ shit _ Kyr. 

“Adaine Abernant?” she drawls, sounding at least a little surprised. “It’s the traitor of Fallinel herself, would you look at that.” 

“I can’t be the traitor to a country I’ve never been to,” she retorts, and Kyr just laughs. 

“Why, pray tell, is the  _ Elven  _ Oracle running around with adventurers like…” She gives Zelda a once-over and wrinkles her nose. “Like a satyr? My, what your father would say.” 

Adaine puts an arm out protectively in front of Zelda. “My father’s a piece of shit, so I don’t really care. And I’d be careful talking about Zelda like that. She’s part of the Seven Maidens.” 

Kyr snorts. “What’s that? A club at your stupid college of heros?” 

“It’s an  _ adventuring school _ ,” she mumbles, “and no, it’s not a club. Unless you consider an elite group of all-female fighters who are best known in Solace for brutally murdering the dragon Kalvaxus a club?” Adaine blinks at her innocently and she sneers. 

“You’re all still children,” Kyr says. “I wouldn’t want to put you through anything horrible. I’m glad we found you here, Adaine, because you need to come to Fallinel with us.” 

She crosses her arms. “Why?” 

Her face splits into an unpleasant smile. “Well, haven’t you been wondering what’s happened to your dear sister?” Adaine’s jaw drops, and Kyr laughs, waving her hand to cast a projection of Aelwen Abernant, gaunt and emaciated, trapped in  _ something. _

Adaine barely has time to react before Zelda shoves past her and gets right up in Kyr’s face. “Listen, you bitchy old high elf--” 

“I am not  _ old _ ,” she interrupts, affronted. 

“Shut the fuck up,” Zelda growls. “I get it, you’re racist and you have a superiority complex a mile wide, but I happen to know a lot of people in this bar who would  _ love _ to take you in a fight.”

Kyr frowns and looks around at the other patrons, and Adaine quietly clocks Fig at the bar and Kristen and Tracker making out in the back. Before she can do anything, however, some rowdy swashbucklers begin to yell “Girl fight! Girl fight!” and Kyr harrumphs and stalks off. 

Adaine sags with relief and Zelda pats her on the back comfortingly. “I’m sorry,” she says. “I shouldn’t have gotten involved.” 

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Adaine replies fiercely. “You were amazing. Thank you.” 

She gives her a half-smile and the two of them walk back over to a small booth in the corner where Adaine rests her head on the table and tries to quiet the thoughts in her head. 

_ What the fuck did they do to my sister?  _


	8. in which everyone finds out (and nobody's sure what they found out)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> fig works on her acting. gorgug rolls insight. kristen provides some free counseling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hkdghladhk 
> 
> eat my entire ass if you're upset it's been this long. i'm proud of this chapter, sorry you had to wait a bit for it. except i'm not sorry, re: eating my entire ass
> 
> anyways, love you guys. hope you enjoy!!
> 
> (cw for some implied sexy times (ish) and constant swearing)

Fig wakes up at 8 am on the dot from a dream that she will absolutely  _ not _ be mentioning to any of her friends. Adaine is gone, which isn’t an uncommon occurrence, and Fig’s a little bit thankful that she can avoid any inquisitorial looks from her as she gets ready to face the rest of the gang. 

She makes her way downstairs, where she finds most of her friends--though Riz, Fabian, and Adaine are conspicuously missing. Fig sits down next to Kristen, who loops her in on the conversation she’s having with Gorgug about her current god, Yes!, and she tries her best to be supportive as Kristen rants about how much she regrets the creation of it. Fig loves Kristen, she really does, but she knows. They all know. 

Gorgug shoots her a sympathetic glance as Adaine arrives, hair loose in messy curls, and slides into the booth next to him. “What are we all talking about?” she asks, seeming frazzled, and Kristen pauses. 

“Adaine, you doing alright? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” she says, and Adaine laughs almost maniacally. 

“I’m just fine, Kris, don’t mind me.” 

Fig thinks privately that’s she’s definitely not just fine, and given the look Zelda has on her face as Adaine arrives, it’s not just her thinking that. Despite that, Fig pipes up and asks, “Anyone seen Riz or Fabian around? Everyone’s here but them.” 

Gorgug shrugs. “I knocked on their door this morning. Didn’t get a response. Ragh offered to break it down, but I didn’t let him.” 

“Probably better we don’t get fined for property destruction again,” she mumbles. “Well, where are we headed next? Are we staying here for a couple of days?”

“Sure, why the hell not?” Kristen leans back and puts her hands behind her head. “We have a couple of weeks, we can waste one or two hanging out here. If Fabian ever gets his ass down here, he can show us around.” 

The rest of the group voices their agreement and slowly goes back to chatting idly before Adaine, who had previously been silent, perks up and looks at Fig curiously. “Where did you go last night, Fig? You weren’t in our room when I went to bed.” 

Kristen shuts up and waves for everyone she’s talking with to stop talking as well then leans in to listen intently to Fig’s answer. Fig buries the momentary shock at Adaine’s question and responds, “I was still down at the bar. I had to try, like, ten times to convince the bartender to give me any alcohol and twenty to get any drugs.” 

“You left the bar before I did,” Adaine counters. “I watched you. You were still there when Zelda and I… almost left, and when we did leave, you were gone. And you weren’t in the room.”

Fig simply shrugs, drumming her fingers on the table. “You must have just missed me.” 

“Fig.” 

“Adaine,” she replies, grinning. 

“Don’t bullshit me.” Adaine folds her arms across her chest and fixes Fig with a withering stare. “You’re acting suspicious as all hell--”

“When am I  _ not-- _ ”

Kristen chooses that moment to butt in with, “Uh, you two doing okay? It seems… really tense.” 

“It’s okay if you snuck off,” Gorgug says, and Kris nods. “We all do it all the time.” 

“I don’t!” Adaine protests and he gives her a look that plainly says  _ This is not the time.  _ She backs off, saying “Sorry, Fig. I didn’t mean to press. I’m just rattled.” 

Fig grins yet again and reaches over to grab a bit of food off of Gorgug’s plate. “You’re forgiven. Too bad you gave up so quickly though because you guys were  _ totally _ right about me sneaking off.” 

Her statement sets off a cacophony of protests from the other people sitting at the table as Fig just cackles at them all. “ _ Girl.  _ You have got to tell me what for!” Kristen exclaims, and Fig suddenly feels a bit like the main character in a cheesy high school romance who just admitted to her friends that she’s got a crush on the cute new girl. 

She briefly debates just leaving it at that, but Gorgug’s giving her his stupid puppy dog eyes and  _ fuck _ , that guy really knows how to get Fig to do whatever he wants. Spends too much time with her on tour, she thinks. When you lived in a bus together, there is no more casual friendship between the two of you. 

“I went…” Fig begins, pausing dramatically, “to the library.” 

“Lame!” Ragh yells from his end of the table, and she can’t help but laugh. 

Kristen giggles a little bit too, but she steels herself and asks, “Why? Forgive me, but you’re not much of a… reader.” 

“Maybe so.”

Adaine snorts ungracefully. “Maybe so? Fig, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you read a book.” 

“Hey!” She huffs, fixing Adaine with an annoyed stare that the elf simply ignores. “If you must know, I was looking for books on Hell.” 

“And?” she prompts, startling Fig. 

“And what?” 

She props her face up on her hands and looks at Fig curiously. “Why’d you stay?” 

She can feel her face starting to heat up, and Fig thanks whatever’s listening for the fact that she has red skin. “Cause I felt like it,” she responds casually, but even she can tell that the cracks in her acting are starting to show. It’d be  _ amazing _ if someone could invent a spell like Disguise Self that made it easier to lie. It certainly exists somewhere, but she doesn’t know where, so what use is it to her? 

“Fiiiiiiiig,” Kristen whines, laying her head down on the table. “Why won’t you tell us? This trip is so boring, we need something to  _ talk _ about.” 

“Kris, we’ve been traveling across the country together for three days. I think you ought to give it a little bit more time.” Fig clears her throat and makes eye contact with the ground before looking back up and plastering on a confident smile. “But if you must know, it’s because the woman who works in the library is  _ very _ pretty and was  _ very _ kind to me.” 

“How pretty?” Kristen asks as if on instinct, earning her a smack upside the head from her girlfriend. “Hey, cut it out, Tracker! You know I’ve only got eyes for you,” she says, kissing her loudly amidst groans from the rest of the table. 

Fig shifts uncomfortably in her seat. “Well, she was nice to me, and she’s--uh, she’s, like, half-phoenix? Her name’s--well, her first name’s Ayda. I didn’t catch her last name,” she lies, though Adaine narrows her eyes suspiciously.

“Half-phoenix?” Gorgug wonders aloud. “How is that possible?” 

Nobody has time to answer his question, however unfortunate for him, because that’s when Riz and Fabian make a rather inglorious entrance. Luckily for Fig, this means she can relax a little bit since the endless questioning has turned its focus to a new target. 

*

_ If Fig thinks anyone is letting her off easy about the whole Ayda thing, she’s clearly forgotten about the bus,  _ Gorgug thinks. Really, she’s entitled to her privacy, but only for a certain amount of time. 

She is going to be saved, at least in the meantime, by the distraction that is Fabian and Riz finally joining them downstairs. 

“Took you two long enough,” Kris teases. “What, you guys get caught up doing something you weren’t supposed to?” 

Gorgug is not an intuitive being by nature. He is kind and caring, that’s for sure, but his Insight leaves something to be desired. 

But when Kristen asks them that question, however jokingly as she may have intended, even someone as unperceptive as Gorgug can’t help but notice the twin blush on both boys’ faces as she makes that comment.

What the hell, it’s never hurt to do an Insight roll before. 

(Multiple people who have been asked if they were Gorgug’s dad beg to differ.) 

He rolls, gets a nat 18. Not the best possible roll, but still pretty damn good. He takes a long look at the two of them, and all of a sudden he gets the sense that Kristen isn’t too far off the mark on that one. 

“Where were you guys last night?” he asks, trying to keep his tone light. “We lost ya pretty early on.” 

Fabian rubs the back of his neck and says, “I don’t--I don’t know where Riz went, but I went back to our room. I got trashed  _ fast _ and I figured it was better for everyone if I went upstairs before I tried to fight someone.” 

He turns his gaze to Riz, who shrugs and replies, “Library. Garthy mentioned it earlier, figured I’d go check it out.” 

“ _ HA! _ ” Fig crows smugly, pointing at a completely baffled Riz. “Failed that deception check, mother _ fucker _ ! I went to the library last night and I didn’t see you there.” 

“I--well, I--we could have just missed each other, Fig. It was a long evening,” he stutters, but she’s too busy recounting all of her evidence to listen. 

“If you really went to the library, you should know its name!” she exclaims. “Tell me the name of the library. Ooh, you know what’ll be even better, tell me the librarian’s name. I already told these guys her name. We’ll all know if you’re lying.” 

Gorgug is genuinely a little impressed by whatever Fig’s pulling, and he notices that before Riz answers, he shoots Fabian a helpless look. With his previous Insight still going, he’s able to take a guess at what happened, but he’s been wrong before. 

But to him, the pieces are kind of falling into place. Riz told him that he had a crush on Fabian--no, that he was  _ in love with _ Fabian, and judging by the mutual disappearance, the blushing, and the lying, Gorgug is starting to think that those feelings might have been returned. 

He makes eye contact with Kris and then with Adaine, and while Kris still seems confused, Adaine has clearly come to the same conclusion Gorgug has. She’s just not willing to press them on it. 

Fig, on the other hand, shoots them both a dirty look and clears her throat loudly. “Well, if no one else is gonna bring it up,  _ I  _ will.” She turns her attention back to the two boys who now seem less uncomfortable and more scared--and who could blame them, Fig can be a formidable girl when she wants to be--and says, “Did you two fuck last night? Is that why you’re lying?” 

Everyone at the table cringes at that, and Gorgug catches his girlfriend’s eye and gives her a look of  _ well, that’s not really how I would have done that _ and then glances at his boyfriend, who seems utterly baffled by this whole situation. 

Adaine groans. “ _ Tact,  _ Fig. One of these days, I’ll teach you how to use it.”

“Oh, because you cowards were going to say something?” she retorts, and Adaine just shakes her head. 

Really though, they’ve been ignoring the reason for Fig’s kinda-rude statement. Fabian is currently looking like he’d rather be anywhere else in the world while Riz is blushing so hard that his skin tone seems like it’s edging closer to Fig’s, and neither of them are making eye contact with anyone. 

“Is that a yes?” she asks, impatiently drumming her fingers on the table. “C’mon, Kris was just complaining about the lack of gossip.” 

Kristen nods. “That’s true, I was just doing that.” 

Fabian tugs uncomfortably at the collar of his shirt. “Well, uh, I don’t suppose we’re getting out of this one easy, huh, Riz?” 

“Not even a little bit,” he replies. “To answer your question, Fig, no, we  _ didn’t _ . We were just, y’know, hanging out and… stuff.”

“Stuff?” Gorgug prompts, and Riz shoots him a betrayed look. 

“Well, we were, like, kissing, I guess,” he mumbles awkwardly, and Fig lets out a loud whoop. 

She slams her hand down on the table and exclaims eagerly, “I knew it! I  _ knew  _ you two had a thing for each other!” 

“We all knew, you  _ asshole _ ,” Adaine grouses. “You were just more pushy about it.” Gorgug can’t help but grin a little at that--she was being awfully pushy.

“What the  _ fuck _ ,” Fabian says, though it’s more of a statement than a question. “Why were you guys--how did you even--how did any of you know before I knew?” 

*

Kristen has had it up to  _ here _ with her friends. 

Well, like, two or three specific friends. Gorgug and Adaine are fine, Zelda and Ragh are also fine, Tracker is the most perfect woman Kristen has ever seen, and even Fig, despite skating on some thin-ass ice, is mostly in the right here. So they’re all good. 

The two she’s about to flip her shit over are Fabian and Riz.  _ Oh, I love him and I don’t think he likes me, oh, he’s straight and nothing’s ever gonna happen, oh no _ and all that jazz. 

“Because, Fabian,” she says evenly. “You wouldn’t have known that Riz was in love with you unless one of us had told you. And we weren’t about to do that to Riz, so, unfortunately, you were in the dark there,  _ bud. _ ” 

He looks over at her and pouts rather dramatically. “Kris. My dear friend. What kind of idiot do you take me for?” 

“There is not a big enough amplifier in the world to describe that to you,  _ Fabs _ .” She sighs. “I’m not qualified to give  _ anyone _ relationship advice,” Kristen says, followed by a loud laugh from Tracker. “Babe, I know. I know. But I’m gonna try, so hear me out here, okay?” They both nod, so she takes a deep breath and continues. 

“I know that this whole thing,” she waves her hand at Fabian and Riz, “is complicated. We’ve all been listening to the two halves of this story for a while, and honestly, it’s been sooooooooo hard not to get involved. You two--you’re really incapable of talking it out, huh?” 

“Where’s the advice part of this come in?” Riz asks skeptically, and she fixes him with a glare. 

“Later, my dude. Anyways, we’re all a big, stupid family here, like it or not. We’re all some sort of messed up, and we’re all gonna be better for it.” She points her staff at the two of them. “My advice isn’t for whatever romance you’re thinking about. My advice is that you should  _ always _ remember that we’re your best friends. We’re your fucking family, you stupid dorks, and you have  _ got _ to remember that you can talk to us.” Kristen stands up, smiling. “Now if you’ll excuse me, Tracker and I are going to go find out just how soundproof these hotel rooms are.” 

She can tell they’re going to watch the two of them as they walk away, but Kristen is  _ so _ not in the mood to deal with them right now. Besides, what’s the fun in an inspiring sort of speech if you stay and wait for the applause? So she grabs onto Tracker and pulls her upstairs, and soon enough, all of those dorks downstairs are forgotten. (Or, at least, forgotten until Fig comes knocking to say that they’ve got stuff to do, and if she opens their door in fifteen minutes and sees something she doesn’t want to see, Tracker and Kristen are going to meet the business end of a Hellish Rebuke). 

Overall, could have been a worse start to the day. Kristen thinks she’s getting the hang of this advice thing. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> love you all so much!!! hope this was worth the wait, i just fell into a rut for a while there and it took a bit to dig myself out. 
> 
> if you liked this, you should check out some of my other works!! there's plenty of fabriz and other various fandoms scattered 'round my page. also, you can follow me on tumblr or twitter [@mydicegotcursed]!
> 
> like, comment, and subscribe!!! kudos and reviews are my best friends, and so are the people who leave them!


	9. in which they explore the city (and make some bad decisions)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> fabian spills the tea. adaine learns a new word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOOF it's been a long time, guys. finally went through and started rewatching fhsy and got inspired to finally finish this next chapter, and i think i know where i'm going with this??? 
> 
> anyways, hope you enjoy!!!

Shockingly, Fabian and Riz don’t get to have that conversation about what the hell last night meant for them because the air in their hotel room is thick with awkwardness and Fabian can’t find the right words to say, so he doesn’t say anything. 

They get dressed, prepare for the day, and Fabian puts his sword on his back with a loud sigh that causes Riz to glance away from his travel clue board (because of course he has one, honestly) and ask, “You alright?” 

“Yeah, yeah,” he replies noncommittally, looking at the mirror as he messes with his hair. “It’s a little weird to be back here. I haven’t been in years…” Fabian trails off, turning to Riz. “Do I look okay?” 

Riz rolls his eyes before looking back to his clue board, though he could have sworn he caught a blush before he did. “Of course you do, you idiot. You always look good.” 

“Glad to know you think so,” Fabian says happily, turning back to the mirror. 

As they walk out of the room, there’s a stiffness between the two of them that feels new, and it certainly doesn’t feel good. He’s not sure if there’s proper etiquette for “hey, we’re both kind of a disaster, but when we kissed I really liked it so can I maybe do that again?” but if there is, nobody bothered to teach him. 

They don’t make eye contact or speak as the two of them make their way down to the lobby where their friends are waiting, and they don’t bother to try and stick together. Riz immediately starts talking to Adaine, who seems marginally less frazzled then she was this morning, leaving Fabian to fend off Fig’s incessant questioning about the previous night. 

“So, did you guys fuck or--” she prompts the second he sits down, and he rolls his eyes. 

“Fig, it’s really none of your business,” Gorgug says quietly, and Fabian makes a mental note to thank him afterward. 

She just scoffs and responds with, “Oh, so when I tell you guys that I met a cute girl, I get grilled six ways to Sunday, but when I ask a simple question like ‘did you guys fuck’ you tell me to stop?” 

Fabian groans and puts his head in his hands. “I can’t do this. I cannot  _ physically  _ do this.”

“Fabian--” 

“ _ No, _ Fig, we didn’t have sex. You’ve asked  _ twice _ already and I love you, I really do, but I’m having my own crisis over here so can we, like, not do this on top of it?” he hisses, and Fig bites her lip, holding her hands up in a gesture of surrender. 

“I’m sorry. You know if you’re going through some stuff, you can always talk to us,” she says, and Gorgug nods in agreement. 

He rolls his eyes but smiles a little into his hands. “I wouldn’t dare.” 

They chat about what they’re planning on doing for the rest of the day while Ragh and Zelda talk about some stuff about school, and it’s mostly peaceful until Adaine and Riz stand up and Riz taps Fabian on the shoulder, saying, “Hey, Adaine and I are gonna go look around town for a little while. See you later.” 

“Yeah, have fun. See you later,” he responds, and they spend a couple of moments awkwardly staring at each other before Adaine coughs loudly, startling them both. 

Once Riz and Adaine are safely out of earshot, Fabian sighs and says, “Things are weird between me and Riz now.”

“Yeah, no  _ shit _ , dude.” Kristen slides into the booth next to Gorgug and folds her arms across the table. “Do you like him?” 

“Hey, so we can go check out some of the stuff that’s around here? I know we can always ask Garthy if for recommendations,” he deflects, sparking a clamor from his friends. 

Fig leans against the table and whines, “Don’t try and distract us, you asshole. We’re trying to be good friends and bug you about your love life because that’s what friends are  _ for _ .” 

“It is  _ so _ not.” Fabian leans back in his chair and kicks his feet up on the table. “But if we’re really having  _ boy talk _ , I’ll submit to your insane questions and answer them.”

She claps her hands together and grins. “So, if you didn’t fuck, what exactly did you do?” 

“I think…” He blanches, trying to recall exactly what had happened. “Riz was, uh, he was really drunk and we were talking about  _ something _ , and all of a sudden he’s saying that he loves me, and I’m like, yeah, I love you too, idiot, and he’s just like, ‘no, I’m  _ in love with you _ ’ and I’m, you know, I’m Fabian Aramais Seacaster, and Riz is not the only person that’s had a crush on me ever, but he’s like ‘ignore me I’m super drunk’ except I’m not going to ignore him!” 

Kristen nods and props her head upon her hands. “Uh-huh. Tell me more about that,” she says, which earns her a smack on the shoulder from both Fig and Gorgug and a death glare from Fabian. 

“Well, anyways, Riz is actually, literally telling me that he’s in love with me and then telling me to forget about it, and then he was waxing poetic about how I’d  _ never _ love him back and then I just--” He cuts himself off, trying to catch his breath. “And then I kissed him because I needed to prove my point.” 

“You kissed him?!” Fig exclaims, “I thought for  _ sure _ it would have been the other way around.” 

Fabian blushes, staring up at the ceiling. “Well, I kissed him first and then we just kind of--paused and then he grabbed me and kissed me back and  _ then-- _ ”

“Spicy,” Kristen mutters. 

“ _ Kristen. _ ”

“Sorry.” 

He waves her off and says, “It’s fine. Anyways, we just made out for a while and then fell asleep. Woke up this morning, came down to talk to you guys, and all of a sudden things are real fuckin’ weird.”

Fig nods. “Well, I know why it’s weird.” 

“Why?” Fabian and Gorgug as at the same time and Fabian shoots him a look. Gorgug just shrugs and says, “I hadn’t figured it out yet either.” 

“Because you made out with your best friend?” She glares at him, exasperated. “Like, dude, that’s gonna fucking make it weird. And there’s  _ no _ way you guys talked about it.”

He rolls his eyes and crosses his arms petulantly. “I didn’t spill all of my problems to you guys to be made fun of.” 

“Stop making bad decisions then,” Kristen cuts in, “And talk to your idiot boyfriend about your feelings.”

“He’s  _ not _ my  _ boyfriend-- _ ”

“Anyways,” she continues, “what do you guys wanna do today?”

*

Adaine and Riz are headed towards the library in the crow’s nest when she finally breaks and asks him, “Riz, do you think I owe my sister anything?” 

“Aelwen?” he asks, confused. “Do you have a second sister?” 

“What--no, I don’t have a secret, second sister,” she responds, running her fingers through her hair nervously. “I just--there’s an elven mage from Fallinel in town, I don’t know how she got here, but she just… Never mind. It’s not important.”

He stares at her incredulously. “Adaine, if they’re sending elven mages, it’s probably pretty fucking important.” 

“I know it is!” she snaps. “I know it is, and that’s the fucking problem, isn’t it? Because she showed me what my sister’s been doing this whole time, Riz, and she’s in fucking  _ prison.  _ And not just prison, mind you, she’s being tortured.” 

Riz frowns and grabs Adaine’s arm, stopping her in her tracks. “She’s being tortured?” 

“Well, she didn’t look like she was having the time of her life,” she mutters. “So what’s the verdict, exactly? Do I owe her anything?” 

“No, Adaine, of course you don’t  _ owe her anything,”  _ he says, “she damn near killed you. It’s more about what you feel like doing.” 

She sighs. “If I knew what I felt like doing, I would have left for Fallinel days ago.” 

“I would understand if you didn’t want anything to do with her,” Riz starts, carefully, “but if she’s in danger… I think it’s down to how important  _ you _ think it is.” 

Adaine bites down hard on the inside of her cheek, mind racing. “I just don’t know. I don’t fucking  _ know. _ I’m the fucking Elven Oracle and I don’t know!” 

“I don’t think divination applies to choices, Adaine,” he says softly, and tugs on her sleeve a little. “Come on. We can do some research. It’ll help distract you for a little while.” 

She shoves her hands deep in her pockets and resumes walking, her mind still flooded with so many things oscillating between her sister and her friends and whatever was wrong with her and why she just felt  _ weird _ when her friends went on and on about sex and kissing and  _ whatever _ \--

None of this was even important! She had so many other things to be worrying about at the time--and for fuck’s sake, it was her sophomore spring break, she was on vacation with her friends; none of this should be what she was thinking about!

_ What a vacation, _ she thinks to herself.

They reach the library (with some directions from Fig and some from Garthy, take a wild guess as to whose were more accurate) and it already seems like one of the most wonderful places in the world to Adaine--high up, secluded from every else, and filled to the brim with books she’s never even seen before. Fucking  _ paradise. _

There is an older humanoid man sleeping at the desk, and a young woman shelving books in the corner; Riz opts to slink off and go try and find books on his own, but Adaine approaches the young woman slowly and says, “Hello?” 

She starts, turning to face Adaine. “Hello. You’re not from here.” 

“Er--no, I’m not. I’m from Solace. Elmville, specifically.” Adaine smiles, holding out her hand. “Adaine Abernant.” 

The young woman returns her smile and shakes her hand. “The Elven Oracle. Lovely to meet you. I’m Ayda.” 

She gasps, hand going to her mouth. “You’re--” 

“Arthur Aguefort’s daughter?” Ayda finishes dryly. “Yes.” 

Adaine laughs a little. “I was going to say the librarian that Fig met last night. She mentioned you this morning.”

“Fig? As in Figueroth Faeth the Insatiable?” She tilts her head to the side. “Yes, we met last night. She was very nice to me.”

“Yes, Fig’s very nice,” Adaine says, glancing around at the library shelves. “Can you help me find a book?” 

Ayda nods, and Adaine explains the base of their concerns to her--sister is trapped in Fallinel, etcetera-- and she leads Adaine to a section on international law and the like, and they strike up a conversation about arcane magic while Riz slinks around the library doing… something.

“Does your friend Fig like women?” Ayda asks, and Adaine looks up from where she’s sitting cross-legged on the floor, books stacked around her. “Is that a weird question to ask? I’m sorry.”

She shrugs. “It’s not a weird question. I don’t really know; she’s just kinda… Fig.” 

“I see.” Ayda blinks a couple of times, then says, “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I understand if it’s a weird question and you were just saying that so I didn’t get upset.”

“It’s not, don’t worry,” Adaine responds, shutting the book she has open. “I don’t know anything about that kind of stuff, I’m sorry. I’ve never really been interested.” 

She nods, handing Adaine another book off the shelf. “You’re asexual, then?”

“What?” she asks, taking the book cautiously. “I don’t think so? I don't know what... that is.”

“Asexual. Not interested in sex. You could be aromantic as well if you weren’t interested in romance either.” Ayda gestures to a book on the ground. “Did that one help?”

Adaine shakes her head and hands it back. “Not really, I’m afraid.” She stands up, gathering the books on the floor and handing them back to Ayda. “Do you…” she trails off and flushes, kicking at the ground a little bit. “Do you have any books on… asexuality?”

Ayda raises an eyebrow and leads Adaine over to a separate section of the library and hands over another book, and Adaine begins to read. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lichen, commerce, and scribble, or leave a comment or kudos if you enjoyed!!
> 
> hit me up on tumblr [@maple-keenes] or twitter [@maplekeenes] if you wanna talk!!!

**Author's Note:**

> i hope you enjoyed!!!!!!! more chapters to come probably, but i'd really appreciate feedback and kudos, it makes my world go round 
> 
> follow me on tumblr [@mydicegotcursed] and chat with me about anything you feel like <3


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